Tendrils of Sunset
by Mana Mihara
Summary: AU Kaoru and Kenshin were best friends. When he announced his impending marriage to his Tomoe, Kaoru left him alone with his new life. Years later, she returns home to find Kenshin divorced and a whole new door of possibilities open. KK
1. Angry Memories

**Synopsis**: Growing up, Kenshin had been Kaoru's best friend. Her feelings towards him evolved into an overpowering love that sustained her through her teenage years. Her true feelings were her own secret she kept hidden from him. But that love almost destroyed her when Kenshin announced his engagement to his girlfriend Tomoe. Heartbroken, she turned inward, leaving him to his new life, and forging a new path for herself. Years later, Kaoru's mother becomes ill and she returns home to find Kenshin divorced, and a door of possibilities open wide.

Revised 3/1/11

**Author's Note**: Welcome to my first Rurouni Kenshin fic. Feel free to leave me a review on your thoughts. Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

**Tendrils of Sunset**

Chapter 1

_"Angry Memories"_

It was an angry day. The clouds hung somberly in the sky, soaking up all the warmth and morning light, threatening to burst into an ugly fall storm. A brisk wind darted across the water of the lake and tousled the leaves littering the ground. A stray red leaf was captured in the breeze and flew by the grumbling young woman as she stomped down the dock on the local historic grounds of Green Goose Island.

"Ugh, this weather!" she exclaimed with humph as she swatted her raven hair away from her face. She reached down, searching her jean pockets for a band to tie the annoying locks from her face, but found them…irritatingly empty. A growl started in the base of her throat as she grasped a handful of her hair with one hand and looked out to the swaying water of the lake which lapped angrily against the legs of the dock.

Her parents owed her more than they knew. They were sure to be laughing at her from their beachfront condo while she slaved over the island, her new responsibility. Agreeing to be the caretaker for the family island had been a mistake. A huge mistake.

The angry day was making her increasingly frustrated; it reminded her of a day she used to cherish. Now it's a day she wished she could forget. It was the day she met _him_.

"Him," she muttered with a frown.

"Kaoru!" a voice behind her shouted. "Stop standing there like a moron and get moving. Sano said there's really bad one coming. We need to secure the docks and boat houses!"

Kaoru whipped around, her hand dropping away from her wild hair. Her eyes, although narrowed to small slits, were again hidden by the wildly moving strands of her hair. The teenager stood up on the rise of the steps leading down to the dock. His eyes, though narrowed, held a note of anxiety and worry.

"Don't call me a moron," she retorted with an angry yell. "Just because you're my cousin doesn't mean I won't kick your sorry little butt."

Yahiko rolled his eyes at her and snorted. "Shyeah. I'd like to see you try."

A loud burst of thunder cracked through the air, causing them to both jump slightly.

"Just get to the east dock, Kaoru," he yelled over the growing noise. "We don't need to loose another boat and you know it," he said glancing anxiously at the sky. Yahiko turned to his left and took off toward the west end dock to help Sano, their resident police officer, secure the two boats stationed there.

Kaoru gnashed her teeth together in annoyance. "I'm going," she replied, and quickened up her pace, deciding to take the shortcut across the island to the east end.

* * *

Sighing with relief, Kenshin Himura dropped his suitcases on the tiled foyer of his lake-front house. "I'm home," he said to himself with a somewhat quizzical smile, his expression wary and pale from the long day's travel.

Having been gone for two and half months, Kenshin walked through the quiet, dark house making sure nothing had happened to anything during his absence, especially since his Uncle Hiko liked to drop by uninvited. When everything appeared to be orderly, he returned back to the foyer to take his bags into his bedroom for unpacking.

He ran a hand through his long, red hair and grimaced. He was heading for the bathroom to take a shower, when a glance out of one of the windows overlooking the lake stopped him in his tracks.

The water was moving with choppy insistence, lashing brutally onto the shore of the small island only a short expanse of water away from his house. Two people were struggling to get two boats secured. Kenshin squinted, and frowned.

"What the heck is Sano…?" he questioned recognizing the older man as his best friend. The younger one with Sano looked familiar but Kenshin couldn't place him.

He hurried through his house and out the back door to his small boat. Fumbling for his cell phone, Kenshin hurriedly searched through his contacts and found Sano's number.

* * *

Kaoru shook her head with annoyance. "Stop thinking about him, idiot," she said to herself. "It'll do you no good!"

Making her way a quickly as possible without tripping and falling on her face was proving to be a little difficult as small droplets of rain started to fall from the blackening sky. Kaoru shivered and pulled the hood of her blue blazer over head. It was turning out to be just like the day she met _him_.

As she made her way through the trees, she sighed. This was the exact path she had taken that day - she'd run into the storm blinded with tears after witnessing her parents fighting.

Frowning, she remembered the precise clench of gut-wrenching pain she had felt that day. Like the silly six year old she had been, she'd thought that one ridiculous fight over grape jam would be the end of her parents' long marriage. Her friend Suzy's parents had gotten divorced around that time, so the possibility had been fresh in her mind.

Kaoru stopped in her path and pressed a hand against a pine tree. She leaned her head against it, closed her eyes, and placed herself back into that little frightened six-year old body.

_**17 years ago**_

Butterflies.

That's what the tiny touch felt like. It was like…like the butterflies that currently danced and twisted in her little tummy. Kaoru smiled. She loved butterflies. But why were they in her little shack by the water? Hiding from the rain, of course, she thought. Just like she was. She was hiding from the rain and from the angry voices.

There they were again, she thought with amazed wonder. They were lightly touching her bare, wet shoulder. Shivering slightly, Kaoru peeked open her blue eyes to see her dancing butterflies fluttering on her skin.

Only…they weren't her butterflies. Her eyes widened in mild surprise and saw instead small fingertips, belonging to small red-haired boy with wide violet eyes.

Kaoru blinked. She'd seen him paying across the lake before. She'd never thought she might get to ever meet this boy!

His small mouth curved into a somewhat bemused smile and he tilted his head sideways, causing his deep red bangs to fall into those beautiful violet eyes.

"Are you…are you okay?" he asked in a shy, polite voice.

Kaoru shivered involuntarily, "Yeah."

A huge clap of thunder resounded through the sky and then a blinding flash of light split from the clouds.

Kaoru clenched her hands around her small legs and closed her eyes. "No, I'm not okay," she whispered as a small tear slipped down her pale cheek.

The boy frowned and motioned to the outside. "This shelter we're in will protect us. Don't worry." He settled down beside her on the dusty floor and pulled a pack of cards from his coverall pocket. "My, uh, uncle always said that playing 'go fish' when you're scared will cheer you right up." He hesitated for a split second, and then extended the brightly colored deck toward Kaoru. "Would you like to play with me?"

Kaoru inched closer to him. Her voice started out so soft he could barely hear her against the pitter patter of the rain on the wooden panels of the shack. "Yes. I'll play with you."

The boy smiled hugely. Just before he dealt the cards, he told her his name. "I'm Kenshin Himura," he said with twinkle in his violet eyes.

_**Present**_

Kaoru away from the tree and started walking again. If she kept daydreaming like this, she'd never get to the boats on time. Slightly confused as to why she was being so sentimental, she was so distracted she didn't notice the Canadian goose waddling down the same path until it was almost too late. Side-stepping the animal quickly, she shook her head with irritation. The goose stumbled back a little and gave a startled honk before continuing on.

It wasn't even five steps later that Kaoru's mind drifted again back to that long-ago day. It had been the beginning of their friendship. Every morning before school started, Kenshin used to row over to the island and help her with her chores - feeding the ducks and geese, keeping the docks clean, and general labor around the island. When done, they would both climb into his boat and row to the school which was, and still is, conveniently near. It was definitely unconventional, now that she thought of it. She and Kenshin were the only students who had rowed to school in a boat.

Her mouth curved involuntarily with a smile as she came out from the tree cover and into the small clearing overlooking the east side of the enormous lake. Her eyes came to rest on the small shack that she had first met Kenshin in. After the day she met him, she named that shack 'The Butterfly House.'

At first, she had just thought of Kenshin as her comrade in mischief. Though he was three years older than her, it didn't bother either one. Each of them had friends from their own respective peer groups, but none quite reached the level in which she and Kenshin's relationship achieved. With time, they were able to know each other's thoughts; likes and dislikes; when to back off and when push forward; and most of all when to support each other. They were each other's shadow.

Shivering against the breeze, Kaoru walked down the small incline to the boat house.

It was when Kaoru was twelve that she realized she loved him. Not just as a friend, but as a _girlfriend_ would love her boy. The revelation had astonished her. Although she'd wanted to tell him about this new development, she hesitated because it was too soon. He wasn't ready, and she definitely wasn't ready to change their relationship. So, she kept her feelings from him.

She had been fourteen when he had gotten his first girlfriend. She'd left during the summer in between eighth and ninth grade to go to a photography camp. Oh, how excited she had been about being able to take pictures of anything she wanted for an _entire_ summer. Her Kenshin had seen the handout at his high school and given it to her, knowing about her sudden new love for taking pictures.

Her Kenshin. That's what she had referred to him as at the time.

She had stopped calling him that when she came home to find him _kissing_ that snob Marcia Winters underneath the Magnolia tree. At first she had felt betrayed, and angry. After time, though, she began to accept the idea that she had to grow up a little more before he saw her the way he saw Marcia Winters, or Tori Mallge, or Ami Ether. She realized that after a while, they all left Kenshin's life, but she stayed. She had always stayed by his side.

Until Tomoe.

* * *

**Author's Note**: The next chapter should be up within the week. It's already written, I just have to proof-read it. Please review and tell me your thoughts. They are muchly appreciated!


	2. Broken Hearts

**Author's Note:** Hello again! Here's the second chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

I'd like to thank the following reviewers:

_Feng Han, erica6060_, _gabby_ _(hyatt_, and _CluedOut_. I'm very happy you guys liked the first chapter.

Feng Han - No, I haven't read donna8157's story, but I'll have to check it out. Thanks for recommending it.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

**Tendrils of Sunset**

Chapter 2

_"Broken Hearts"_

Kenshin secured his green boat next to the two boats Sano and the teenager had tied down. The two of them stood beside a small metal pavilion, which looked like a pretty flimsy shelter for the on-coming storm.

"What's going on?" Kenshin asked the tall man as he wiped rain off his face with the sleeve of his jacket.

Sano shifted his weight to his left foot and grinned at Kenshin, his eyes lit with pleased suprise. "Long time, no see, Ken," he said. "When'd you get back?"

Kenshin grabbed the sleeve of Sano's jacket and pulled him under the pavilion as the rain began to fall heavier. "What's going on?" he asked again.

Sano sighed and shook his head, slinging droplets of water from his coal black hair. "Haven't you heard? We're in for one of the worst storms we've had in ten years. The coast guard twenty miles from here is shutting down the docks and they're trying to evacuate coastal front homes." Sano leaned against one of the pavillion posts and sighed. "I haven't been called into the station because they need me here. Green Goose Island is an historical landmark is these parts and needs to have suprivised protection."

Kenshin blew out a heavy sigh and turned to the teenager who stood off to the side. The boy's eyes were hooded as he silently watched the red-haired man.

"You're the guy…the guy in all those pictures up at the house," the teenager said.

Kenshin felt a pleased smile crease his worried face. "They're still up, huh? Kaoru filled that billboard with pictures of us when we were in high school. I thought she would have taken them down by now, but she hasn't been home for quite a while now, so I guess she just hasn't gotten the chance." Kenshin leaned forward to get a better look at the boy. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

He shrugged. "Kaoru's my cousin, so you might have seen me when I was younger. I'm Yahiko," he replied.

Kenshin shook his head. "I don't think we ever met. Although, I might have seen you at the school near here. You go to Atria Blue High, right? I'm the upperclassmen teacher for Japanese language and history."

Yahiko's eyes widened and he nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I helped the Spanish teacher grade papers last year for the language department, so you might have seen me, then."

Kenshin nodded. "What grade will you be in this coming school term?"

"I'll be a senior," he answered, somewhat distracted.

"You'll have to think about taking my class," Kenshin urged.

The teenager nodded. He fidgeted slightly and turned his gaze to the eastward direction.

Kenshin turned back to Sano. Sano crossed his arms across his chest and gave Kenshin an amused look, his mouth curved smugly. "You don't know, do you?"

A loud clap of thunder sounded, mingling with the heavy sheet of falling rain.

"Don't know what?" Kenshin mumbled as he turned his eyes to the sky and frowned. "I think we should go to the house. It's getting worse by the second."

Yahiko started out in front of Kenshin, but instead of climbing the stairs that lead to the large wood house on the top of the island, he cut through the mud and started toward the east.

"Not that way, Yahiko. It's dangerous on the east side of the island with these kinds of storms. We should get to the house," Kenshin said with slight motioning, his eyebrows drawn together.

"Kaoru's taking too long! I'm going to go see if she needs any help" he shouted back, continuing on through the onslaught of rain.

Kenshin felt his heart thump against his chest. "Kaoru?"

* * *

Kaoru cursed into the wind as she pulled the inflatable boat further up the shore and threw it into the boat house. Her hands were trembling from the sudden burst of cold, and she suddenly wished she'd remembered her gloves. The rain pelted as she leaned over to grab the spare rope on the ground she had brought with her.

"I better get to the house before the storm gets any worse," she muttered to herself as she eyed the tumultuous water. Something held her back, though, and she remained frozen. Quivering not only from the rain, but also from memories of her broken past, she wrapped her arms around her middle as she stood on the waterfront.

Despite her concern, despite her common sense, despite the rising danger of the storm, her feet remained rooted in place, her eyes hypnotized by the brutal weather.

_Tomoe_. Why did she have to think of her again? She had already spent too much of her life worrying and thinking about that woman. Kaoru sighed and shook her head. She remembered how blind-sided she had been when Kenshin had announced the true extent of his and Tomoe's relationship.

It still made Kaoru's throat constrict, which was stupid because she knew she was over her deep feelings for her best friend. She had to be over those feelings.

* * *

**5 years ago**

Kaoru rummaged through one her clothing drawers looking for her favorite lime-green tee shirt. Mumbling something under her breath, she shoved aside shorts, shirts and socks, then yanked the drawer from the chest and dumped the contents onto the floor.

"I didn't realize packing for college would be so annoying," she grimaced, throwing a pair of shorts across the room.

"Can't find it?" Kenshin asked with a small, quick smile. He leaned back in his chair and watched her fumble around from across the room.

She whipped her head around to scrutinize her best friend. "Have you seen it?"

His violet eyes twinkled and he pursed his lips, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders. Running his fingers over the grooves on the antique table next to him, Kenshin replied innocently, "No idea."

Kaoru slowly stood up, stepped away from the mass of clothing on the floor, and started slowly toward Kenshin. "Wrong answer."

He shook his head as a smile slowly spread across his lips. "No, no. I promise," he said softly holding up the palms of his tanned hands, "I have no idea. Why would I steal your shirt?"

Kaoru's eyes narrowed, and she leaned over to peer directly into his eyes, her hands falling on the armrests of his chair. "I'm warning you."

Frowning slightly, he placed a hand on her forehead. "Are you sick? PMSing? You seem very feisty today," he teased.

So he wanted to play dirty, did he?

"No," she said, letting her hands fall to her side. She licked her lips and darted a guilty gaze at him. "I'm just," she said twisting her slim fingers together, "nervous."

Kenshin's amusement slowly faded, replaced with concern. "About going to college? You know it's not that bad. Besides, you've gotten first-hand information from me, silly," he kidded.

Kaoru swallowed and shook her head, causing the purple ribbon tied around her ponytail to flutter. "It's not that."

Kenshin stood, tenderly brushed her bangs away from her eyes and tugged her ponytail playfully. "What?"

He asked for it.

"I'm pregnant."

It took a few seconds for what she said to fully register. Kenshin's face paled to a deathly white and his hand drooped to his side. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously.

"Pregnant?" he choked.

The expression on his face was beyond comical as Kaoru swallowed the diabolical laughter bubbling in her throat. Unable to utter a syllable without falling on the floor in a seizure of laughter, she grunted.

"How?" he questioned stupidly.

Pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, Kaoru turned her eyes to the ceiling. "How?" she asked. "I should hope you know."

Kenshin ran a hand through his mussed red hair. "Uh, I mean who."

Shit. She forgot there had to be a father. Wait! Perfection.

"You," she replied. Kaoru slipped her arms around his shoulders and nuzzled her nose against his cold neck. Running her fingers through his silky hair, she leaned back to smile at his mystified face. "You don't remember?"

His eyes slowly narrowed, and he speared her with a knowing glare. She couldn't take it. She just couldn't.

Unlocking her hands from behind his neck, Kaoru collapsed on the floor as her hysterical laughter burst into the room. She held her sides as she wheezed for breath.

"That was low. So low, you deserve punishment, Kamiya."

She moaned in laughter. "Pu…nish…ment?" she said into between gasped breaths.

Kenshin smiled evilly. "You forget that I remember you're most ticklish spots."

Downstairs, Kaoru's parents chuckled as they heard their daughter screech from above.

* * *

Later that night after dinner, Kenshin pulled her aside out onto the deck of the house. The night sky was slowly creeping over the dwindling day. Pale streaks of yellow and deep slashes of red creased the sky, creating a rippling mosaic of color in the lake water. The play of light on the lake was considerably calming, which in turn caused Kaoru to close her eyes and breathe in the earhty scent of her home.

"I'm going the miss this place," she said to Kenshin, opening her eyes. She ran her hand against the wood of the deck railing, dipping her fingers into the imperfections of the wood.

Kenshin smiled and sat down on a bench overlooking the water. He brushed the red hair blowing in his face out of his eyes and nodded. "Took me a while to get used to living away."

Kaoru pirouetted around to face him and clasped her hands behind her back. "So what are we here for?" She grinned and leaned down so her face level with his. "Got any secrets you're dying the let out?"

"As a matter of fact, I do, Kamiya," he replied.

"Well, imagine that," she said. She turned back to the lake and spread her arms as if embracing the twilight. "Spill it," she giggled.

Behind her she heard him shift, then say, "I'm getting married."

Nothing, absolutely nothing could have prepared her for that answer. She was glad her back was turned or Kenshin would have seen the devastated expression marring her usually cheerful continence. A few seconds ticked by before she could even think about speaking. The word marriage echoed in her mind like an unstoppable drum.

"T-Tomoe?" she managed to utter, lowering her head as her ponytail whipped in the wind.

"Yes," he replied, beginning to become slightly worried by her lack of enthusiasm.

Out of his sight, Kaoru's hands drifted down the clutch the waist of her yellow sundress, causing her knuckles to turn white with the strain. She clenched her eyes shut and ordered away the oncoming tears. She would _not_ cry, especially not in front of him. Opening her eyes and pasting a smile on her pale lips, Kaoru turned.

"I didn't realize you were that serious about each other," she said.

Kenshin shrugged and stood up beside Kaoru. He brushed a hand across her cheek and tugged on the lobe of her left ear. "I fell hard," he replied. "Apparently, so did Tomoe." The smile that graced his lips at that moment could have lit up the night sky better than the moon. "She's coming down tomorrow to celebrate before the semester starts. We're planning on getting married around Thanksgiving and moving into an apartment adjoining the school campus."

"That's moving fast," she replied.

Kenshin shrugged. "I don't see the point in waiting." He smiled again. "You can be my best man."

Despite her shattered heart, Kaoru smiled. "Uh, I think that place is reserved for your best male friend. Sano suits the bill better than me."

Kenshin shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Well, okay. I guess your right." He sighed. "I've got to go call Tomoe and give her directions to the house." He moved to the patio door and slid it open. "I'll see you later," he said with a wink and disappeared inside the house.

It took all the strength she had to make it upstairs without letting her family know about her emotional turmoil. It took what felt like an hour to climb the stairs. The second she entered her dark bedroom and heard the door click softly behind her, she let the tears fall from her now dull eyes.

Kaoru had expected to hate Tomoe. She had wanted to hate Tomoe. Only, Tomoe had turned out to be genuinely nice. How did that happen? Although mentally criticizing Tomoe's appearance and every move that she made, Kaoru couldn't find anything _really_ wrong with her. If the circumstances had been different, Kaoru could see Tomoe as a good friend, maybe even a best friend. But, the fact that she was so nice and amiable made Kaoru hate herself for her feelings of raging jealousy, so Kaoru avoided Tomoe and Kenshin as much as she could. She wasn't purposefully rude to Tomoe. If Tomoe initiated conversations or asked Kaoru to go shopping, for instance, Kaoru didn't have the heart to turn her down.

That's why she'd had to leave.

Kaoru left for college two weeks early, claiming she needed more time than she originally thought to get adjusted to her new home. It did take a while for her to get used to the alien world of college and the experience of living with a complete stranger in a room the size of a cracker box. Around the time of his wedding, Kaoru had had a take home test and a fifteen-page term paper about the life and accomplishments of Da Vinci. She used that as a weak excuse, and didn't go to the wedding.

The letters he sent varied in length and content. Though she read all of them at least ten times, causing them to unavoidably wear with use, she only responded to about two of every fifteen.

She managed to skillfully avoid her best friend for two years. The confrontation they had three years ago at Christmas had been the last time she had spoken to him face to face.

* * *

**Present**

Kaoru blinked. It was dark. The storm flashed brutally, while the rain fell in a thick, unwavering sheet. She had lost herself in the past. Again.

"Damnit," she cursed. By blinding out reality, she had failed to realize she needed cover from the storm, _now_. Water slashed against the swaying trees as the wind picked up, slinging the hood of her blue blazer off her black hair.

She heard her name shouted, turned, and completely lost her train of thought. Her mind went black and her vision dimmed.

_Kenshin._

"Kaoru!" Kenshin yelled at her.

Behind her, the wind started picking up the water, swirling it into a revolving cyclone. Spraying slashes of water at her back, it split the air like a knife and enveloped her as if giving her a hug of death.

"Kaoru!" Kenshin screamed again as the revolving wind whipped around her, causing her to loose her balance. Her eyes widened and mouth parted with suprise as the wind wrapped around her vulnerable form, blowing against her as if she was mearly a slip of paper. Kaoru's feet slipped, and as a mighty burst slammed into her, her eyes widened in panic and she whipped her head around the find something to hold onto.

Kenshin immediately began racing towards her. She seemed to dissapear in the heavy shield of rain, her shocked cry only a weak slip of sound, barely heard through the storm's madness. And when he reached the spot she had stood moments ago...Kaoru was gone. Kenshin clenched his fists.

She was in the tumultuous grasp of the lake.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Alrighty then, that's the end of Chapter 2. Hope you liked it. And remember, the more reviews, the more I'm motivated to write. So, please review.


	3. Fevered Remembrance

**Author's Note: **Sigh…unfortunately, this chapter is really short. And it's not a continuation of what's happening in the present. It's a flashback. All of it. So don't get confused, okay! I REPEAT, This chapter, in it's entirety (about 2.5 pages), is a flashback.

**Reader Responses -**

**Thanks to all who took the time to review. Especially:**

leiko47seta - I'm glad you liked it so far. I hope you like what's coming up…

CluedOut - Glad to see you again! I'm happy you liked the second chapter, too. Thanks for dropping in and leaving your thoughts. Glad you didn't find anything wrong! lol

erica6060 - Here's more! Hope you like it as well. Thanks for reviewing.

inuwolf04 - Here's the update. Thanks for reviewing.

Ange Noir - Every opinion means alot to me! Yours included. I'm happy you like the way I'm putting the flashbacks in. Thanks for your thoughts.

flaming-amber - Here's more!

The evil witch - Thanks for your encouragement. Hope you like this chapter.

Brittanie Love - I updated as soon as possible…hopefully I'll be able to keep it up…lol. Thanks for dropping in your thoughts. They are muchly appreciated.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, unfortunately. But I do own a nice pair of Christmas socks with penguins…yay!

And the story continues…

REVISED 3/1/11

_**Tendrils of Sunset**_

**Chapter 3**

_"Fevered Remembrance"_

**Three Years Ago**

The kitchen door slammed as a shock of bitter air entered the room. Shit. She had been hoping she'd be able to have at least one cup of coffee before she had to face what she expected to be a rabid dog. Guess not.

His angry footsteps sounded against the kitchen tile as he made his way to stand directly behind her robe-clad form. Yep, he was ready for a fight.

Turning around with her still full pink coffee mug in her cold hands, she came face to face with not a rabid dog, but a dragon. A fire-breathing dragon to be precise. If not for the furious damnation he exuded, it would have been a comical situation. His red hair stuck out in every which way from his sloppily thrown up ponytail. His violet eyes, swirling with shocks of gold, shot daggers at her, while his usually smiling mouth frowned at her.

He crossed his arms over his blue-checkered pajama top chest, raised an eyebrow, and said in an uncharacteristically cold tone, "Explain."

Kaoru didn't have to question his one-word demand. They both knew very well what he wanted to know, so instead of evading the question, she replied sternly and simply, "No."

That only seemed to add fuel to his anger. He slapped his hand against the countertop. "Now!" he bit out, loosing all of the little bit of patience he had.

She tried to move past him, but he put his other arm out against the opposite counter-top, successfully trapping her. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "I can't."

"I'm serious Kaoru. Explain your behavior. I'm not leaving until you do," he said angrily.

She was starting to get angry herself. "I can't, you blockhead!"

"Why not?"

"You wouldn't understand," she quipped.

"Wouldn't understand?" he replied, his voice rising. Kaoru prayed no one else in the house would wake up. "I don't understand why you've been avoiding me! Damnit," he cursed, gripping the countertop with his hands, "I don't understand why you didn't come to my wedding, don't return any of my letters, and don't come home during your school breaks. Do you realize this Christmas is the first you've been home in two years?" His eyes narrowed and drilled into hers. "I want to know, _no_, I demand to know why you're avoiding me. What is the deal, Kaoru?"

She swallowed and clenched her coffee mug. It was now or never, she concluded. Taking a deep breath and uttering a quick prayer underneath her breath, she replied. "I love you." A split second ticked by. "I love you," she repeated softly and looked unwaveringly into his eyes.

He frowned and shook his head in a confused motion of exasperation. "I love you, too," he said, "but that doesn't come near to answering my question."

Kaoru put down the coffee mug. "It answers everything you just asked me. I – love – you. I've loved you since I was twelve years old, not as friend, but as a girlfriend, wife, and lover would love a man. That is why I'm avoiding you."

Some of the fury faded in his eyes and he tried to process what she was telling him. Seconds later, after he filed away the confusion, the fury returned with a vengeance. "Why didn't you say something sooner?" he said, wanting to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her.

"Why?" Her eyes narrowed and her fingers clutched the sleeves of her blue robe. "Because you got married! It wouldn't have been fair to either you or Tomoe, or even me if I had said anything. It would have made me feel like a complete monster. Up until that year, I didn't have to guts to potentially change the whole center of our relationship. I was afraid of loosing you."

Kenshin swallowed and his arms fell limply to his sides away from the countertops. "Is there some way we can fix this? I miss you terribly, Kaoru. It feels as if half of myself has been physically stolen from me."

"How do you think I feel, huh? It hasn't been easy, Kenshin." Kaoru slipped slowly past him and moved to the center of the kitchen. "It almost killed me when you told me you were getting married. And despite the time I've spent away from you, I still feel those same feelings inside me that I've felt for the past eight years. I can't be around either of you. It just hurts too much," she replied, pressing the palms of her hands against her chest as if to quell the rising pain.

Kenshin stood there for a moment in silence, then lifted his head and took a few steps toward her. "So you're telling me to chose between the two of you? I either get my best friend or my wife?" he asked with a hint of hidden hostility.

Kaoru shook her head. "No, Kenshin. I'm choosing for you."

He clenched his jaw so tight, the muscle jerked. "Shouldn't you let me choose, Kaoru? I think I should at least have the right."

Kaoru smiled sadly and a deep sorrow he had never seen before filled her blue eyes. She slid her eyes downward to rest on the tips of her toes and whispered, "We already know whom you'd choose."

Silence met her answer.

A minute ticked by before he responded in an anguished filled voice. "It might have been different if you had told me before, Kaoru. I would have chosen you. You've always been my girl. My best friend."

Tears slowly slid down her cold cheeks at this revelation. She placed a hand on her forehead underneath her bangs as she heard him walk past her, open the door and step outside into the bitter morning

After that Christmas, Kaoru didn't return home unless she was needed for extreme circumstances. When she graduated from college, Kaoru left the country to tour Europe for a great photography experience, hoping she would eventfully turn the results into a book.

Three months before the day of the storm, she returned to Green Goose Island. While Kaoru was in Rome, her mother had had a heart attack. Due to the constant strain of upkeeping the island, her health had deteriorated faster than it should have. The doctor and Kaoru's father had suggested they get away from the island for rest and retirement. When Kaoru agreed to become caretaker of the island, her parents moved.

At the beginning of the summer, she arrived with a little luggage and an open mind only to find that Kenshin had taken a group of his former students to Japan for three months. Although somewhat relieved she'd be able to adjust to being back home before he showed up, she felt curiously disappointed at his absence.

But, the real kicker was when she found out from Sano that Kenshin had gotten divorced four months ago. Divorced? What the hell!

Sano informed her that Tomoe and Kenshin's marriage had fallen apart when she had a miscarriage because of a boating accident almost a year and a half ago. They had been separated for eight months when they filed for a divorce. Her parents had told her that they had been having troubles, but she had never expected this.

While Kaoru was still reeling from this unexpected announcement, Sano hit her up.

"I need a place to say."

Her glazed eyes stared at him blankly. "Huh?"

"Megumi kicked me out. Said something about freeloader and bastard," he mumbled scratching his chin, "She threw all my belongings into the street. It's not like I don't have a job!" he argued with himself. Shrugging it off, his eyes sparkled with amusement as he grinned. "Damn, that woman is sexy when she's angry."

When the wheels in Kaoru's head started revolving again, she uttered, "Sure. We could use the extra help a cop could give us anyways."

Sano rolled his eyes and started sauntering up the path her house. "Nothing too taxing, little missy," he replied over his shoulder.

Kaoru followed. "My cousin is moving in, too. His parents were killed in an auto accident last year. He's been living with Aunt Eloisa, but needless to say, he hates the old hag almost as much as she hates the world." Kaoru looked up at Sano's nodding head and felt a smile pull at her lips. It would be an interesting summer, she thought.

And it had been. With the help of Sano and Yahiko, the island had been kept in excellent shape. It had been quite uneventful until Kenshin showed up and Kaoru had been unmercifully attacked by that damn waterspout. What luck.

**Author's Note**: Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon. And I promise it'll be longer than this. I hate reading short chapters, and I hate writing them…don't ask me why I made this one so short…Oh, well.

Remember to review, guys! Thanks, again, to all those that have…I hope you will do so again for this chapter. You don't know how much it helps when I sit down to write more.


	4. Twinkling Stars

**Author's Note**: Got this chapter out sooner than I thought I'd be able to. I was a little afraid it wouldn't come out like I hoped, but I think it actually turned out better than my original expectations. Goody…

**Reviewer Responses**:

Thanks to everyone who read…

Brittanie Love - Happy you like it! Thanks for reviewing.

Ange Noir - Tomoe will come eventually…I just haven't decided when and where…hmmm. Lol. I loved your review…made me laugh. Support group for fanfiction? Not a bad idea, actually. I've felt the same way about some of the other fanfictions out there. And if I don't update again before your birthday (hopefully I will) …Happy Birthday! Thanks bunches for reviewing.

chakitattyla2h8 - I'm glad you were finally able to review. Computers can be so finicky sometimes, huh! Maybe your theory about Kenshin and Tomoe's marriage is correct…we'll have to see. Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you like it.

leiko47seta - I liked that dragon comparison as well…came up with that when I was revising the chapter for the second time. More characters will come. I mention another one in this chapter, but more don't appear until the next one. I just wanted to get these characters established first, then I'll bring in more. I'm glad you liked chapter. Thanks for dropping in again. It's great to see repeat reviewers.

cyjj - Here's the update. Thanks for reviewing!

erica6060 - Hello again! I liked that 'my girl' line as well. Very fun writing it. I'm happy you enjoyed chapter 3!

Bradybunch4529 - Wow. What a great review. You really know how to flatter a writer, huh? I'm very happy you liked my story this much so far. I hope you like this chapter as much as the previous ones. Thanks so much for reviewing…I appreciate it alot.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…I only own a pair of lime green tennis shoes that squeak when you walk…makes me sound like a spastic mouse. Sigh. Oh, well.

REVISED 3/1/11

_**Tendrils of Sunset**_

**Chapter 4**

_"Twinkling Stars"_

The water swirled around Kaoru like a suffocating blanket, dunking her and leaving her breathless. When Kaoru instinctively opened her mouth to breathe, water filled them, choking her. She clenched her eyes shut and closed her mouth, letting out a whimper muffled by the water.

For a second, she lost all thought to where she was - who she was - what the hell she was doing. It seemed as if she were floating in oblivion, unconscious to the surrounding world.

Abruptly, it rushed back to her, flooding her mind. Her eyes opened, and she was suddenly overwhelmed with the insane motions of the moving water. The resulting dizziness almost engulfed her . Kaoru snapped her arms out away from her sides, kicked her legs and tried to stretch her body to the surface.

That's when she looked up.

The stormy blue of the sky mocked her and the rolling water above her distorted the clouds, revealing them to be black masses of dripping demons. Bubbles escaped from her mouth, water once again filled her lungs. Her eyes burned with an intense fiery pain.

Oh, God, she had to get free of this imprisoning lake.

As if suddenly possessed by an avenging angel, adrenaline shocked through her body, and she began to propel herself up.

Almost.

Almost there.

Kick. Kick. Kick.

Vision dimming. Heart pounding. Ears aching from pressure.

Almost…

Almost!

And then…she surfaced. Gasping, choking, and shaking, she filled her starving lungs with air. But she wasn't out of danger yet.

Water pounded her, flying over her head in slashing waves almost dunking her under again. She panicked at the thought. If she went underneath the surface of the water again, she didn't think she'd make it out again.

Already, her muscles felt as of they were being stabbed by a thousand daggers. Salty tears blended with the lake water on her pale face. She sucked in a desperate breath and almost cried out at the hopelessness of the situation. She didn't know how long she'd last. The pounding, it seemed, went on for hours when reality it had probably been a few excruciatingly long minutes.

Despair wrapped her in its merciless embrace, clearing Kaoru of rational thought, and just when she felt herself start to slip beneath the surface once more, two arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against a hard chest.

Although she couldn't see the person who held her tightly, sheltering her from the storm and relieving her body momentarily of physical and mental pressure, she knew in her heart it was _him_. It was Kenshin.

Willing herself to not fall into the grasping fingers of unconsciousness, she weakly helped him propel their bodies to the steady shore. Water hit them with a brutal force, causing Kenshin to grunt and tighten his grip on her. They moved slowly against the raging strength of the wind. When they had almost reached the shore, the tall police officer darted into the water to help pull them to safety.

Her feet dragged against the mud as she was pulled onto dry land. She moaned and slowly opened her eyes. They focused on the wet, worried face of her young cousin.

Safe.

She could see the relief in his eyes. She could feel the relief blooming within her constricted throat. With a thankful sigh, she let herself drift into unconciousness, relieving herself of the mind-numbing panic which had almost consumed her.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, they settled on a chestnut brown ceiling. She was home. Her blue eyes misted and fluttered shut for a moment as a shudder passed through her tired body. It felt so good to be home. She was wearing dry clothes and a warm wool blanket covered her. She basked happily in the warm shelter, content.

"Are you okay?" a hesitant voice to her left asked.

Kaoru's eyes snapped open and she rolled her head to the side. Yahiko sat on the edge of his chair beside the couch she rested on. His eyebrows were drawn together, his eyes roaming over her face, worry hidden poorly within their brown depths.

Her lips curved into a lazy smile.

"I'm fine," she croaked. Mentally, she groaned. She hated having a dry, scratchy throat. As if reading her mind, Yahiko passed a glass half-filled with water to her. Hours ago, this innocent looking liquid had been her mortal enemy, now it reverted back to a vital part of her existence. Ironic. Kaoru accepted the glass from him and struggled into a sitting position.

She took a couple sips of the tepid water, then handed the glass back to the boy.

"I'm fine," she repeated, reassuring the doubtful looking Yahiko.

With a now steady hand, she brushed the blanket away from her legs and settled her sock clad feet onto the cool laminate floor. She slowly lifted herself, stood, and gave the boy beside her a calming wink.

Reaching down, she plucked the blanket from the couch and wrapped it snuggly around her shoulders. Sighing contently at the warmth it provided, she quietly padded to the sliding glass door and slipped outside into the now sleepy night. The scent of rain lingered in the silent darkness.

Kaoru lowered herself onto the damp wood of the bench overlooking the reflecting ripples, mirroring the full moon's bright clarity. Her back relaxed against the hard wood while her fingers traced the coarse wool of the blanket.

She had been sitting on this very deck with Kenshin when he had announced his engagement. She had avoided this place for a while now because of that memory. But, now, she realized it's time she became acquainted with it once more. Lost in her thoughts, she stiffened slightly when the door behind her clicked and slid open. It closed softly.

Kenshin stepped next to her and sat down. His scent enveloped her, reminding her of past days filled with laughter and starry-eyed wishes. His warm presence embraced the brisk night.

He let out a breath of air and settled back comfortably beside her, stretching his legs out. Kaoru turned her head and let her eyes trace the painfully familiar planes of Kenshin's kind face.

His violet eyes were glued to the subtle twinkle of stars peeking through dissipating clouds. His mouth, though not smiling, hinted at amusement and hooded pleasure. Long red hair, pulled back from his face in its usual blue elastic hair-band, spilled over his right shoulder, overlapping his crossed arms resting on his chest. His eyes moved from the stars and slowly crept to her wide, blinking gaze. Their eyes locked and held. Violet studied blue. Blue studied violet.

It was the first time in years they had been alone on this deck, full of so many memories, watching the night sky. Kaoru's breath caught in her throat and her stomach curled nervously. It had always been like this; this feeling of unsettling adoration swelling within her heart. His eyes seemed to bore into her mind. Into her soul. Her heart thumped loudly.

How did he feel about seeing her, again?

As if he she'd expressed her thoughts aloud, Kenshin's mouth curved on one side, his head tilted. His breath brushed against her cheek from his close proximity as he said in his quiet voice, "Your time away has washed you of your commonsense, huh?"

Without waiting for her response, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. Shock paralyzed her body from doing anything except complying with his movements and resting her head against his warm collar bone.

Slowly, she relaxed against him, slipping one arm around his slim waist to clutch him to her. It had been a long time since they had sat like this. So long.

"You know better than that, hmmm?" he asked, his voice rumbling in his chest against her ear. She let out a soft laugh of ease.

"Oh, I know," Kaoru replied, a smile apparent in her voice. "I've just gotten rusty."

Her best friend sighed. "Am I going to have to teach you everything again?" he teased, pulling her loose hair away from the side of her face. She tilted her head up to where her eyes met his. She grinned.

"I guess."

Nothing had changed. Everything had changed. It was confusing, but not, at the same time. The only thing Kaoru knew of was that she had her best friend back. How he could so easily forgive her for her callous behavior, she'd never know. But, she thanked the heavens he could reach within himself and dodge the hurdles and obstacles she'd thrown his way in what she now considered childish distress. She realized, though, it was in his personality to forgive, rooted deep within his subconscious.

An intense itching to tease him plagued her. Kaoru smiled, pinched his arm causing him to jerk in surprise, and threw a playful insult at him that had always seemed to jerk a reaction from him, whether it was patient laughter or annoyed vengeance. Today, he was startled at first, his eyes wide, searching her giggling face. Then, he burst out laughing, rocking them back and forth in his merriment.

Kaoru sighed.

Everything was just fine.

Just fine.

* * *

The next morning, she slowly awakened to the honks of the geese outside the house. It varied every morning when they would start their ritual songs of morning fun. Kaoru pressed her face into the welcoming comfort of her pillow and moaned. It was too early.

Her alarm clock bleeped, the small penguin mechanically signaling the dawn of a new day. Kaoru slapped a hand from underneath the warm confines of her quilt and tapped the top of the penguin's head to halt his overenthusiastic welcome.

A thumping in the hall outside her closed bedroom door caused her sit up warily and rubbed a hand over her sleep hazed eyes. She blinked, focusing on the waving curtains, dancing to the beat of the soft breeze. The morning light peeked in through the window, brightening up the room and bathing it in a warm glow.

Kaoru threw back the covers and slipped from the bed reluctantly. She trudged across the wood floor and into the cheerful yellow bathroom, smelling of fresh flowers and perfumed shampoo. Daisies sat in a clear, yellow vase on the lip of the sink, greeting her with their welcoming presence. Kaoru smiled and slid a finger down a slim petal. It never failed to make her smile when she noticed nature within her surroundings.

Kaoru stripped down to her skin and stepped into the shower to jolt the remaining sleep from her system. She shuddered slightly as the lukewarm water ran down her skin.

Kenshin had sat with her for almost an hour before calling it a night and returning to his house across the water to make sure it still stood. Which of course it did. Her toes curled when she thought with wonder at how much she had missed being around him.

Five minutes later, she stepped from the shower, rejuvenated and clean for the coming day. She returned back to her bedroom to pull on some clothes comfortable for working outside around the island. She'd have quite a bit of work to do thanks to the storm. Leaving her room, she hurried down the stairs into the kitchen to start a fresh pot of coffee. These days she found it hard to maintain a fast speed of action without at least one cup of the hot caffeinated drink.

While in the process of turning on the coffee maker, Yahiko walked in, running a hand through his tangled hair. He gave a grunt of greeting to Kaoru, then reached within the refrigerator to pull out the carton of pulp free orange juice. He looked at the label and groaned.

"Come on, Kaoru. Why do you keep buying sissy orange juice? What's the point of drinking it without the pulp, huh?" he asked in a aggravated tone, shoving the rejected carton back into the refrigerator and hunting for a more agreeable juice.

"Sissy?" Kaoru repeated with a small frown and turned to her cousin as he pulled out a gallon of apple juice. A slight grimace graced his lips as he poured a small mount of it into a cup and gulped it down. "How is pulp free orange juice sissy?" Kaoru's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Orange juice with the pulp is just nasty. I shudder whenever I drink that stuff. Who wants to have chunks of stuff floating in their juice?"

Yahiko snorted. "I do."

Sano shuffled into the room, snatched a donut off the plate leftover from the previous day, then shuffled out again. The front door slammed.

Kaoru turned back to the coffee maker and mumbled to herself, "Someone's in a hurry this morning."

Yahiko leaned against the kitchen table and crumpled the now empty paper cup in his palm. He tossed it towards the trash can and frowned when it failed to land within its target. He was bending over to pick up the paper when Kaoru asked, "So when do you want to leave? Aren't you helping with the freshman orientation this week?"

None too pleased by the reminder, he nodded and gave Kaoru a sour look. "I don't see why though. It sucks to have to go back a few weeks earlier than you're supposed to."

Kaoru nodded and sighed with pleasure when the aroma of coffee drifted into the room. "I had to do it one year. Felt the same way."

Yahiko started toward the door leading to the outside, then turned to his guardian. "Uh, Kenshin's taking me today, so you don't have to, uh, drop me off."

Kaoru turned in surprise and lifted an eyebrow. "Kenshin?"

"Yeah. He's here right now. See?" Yahiko asked, pointing to the small rowboat docked on the shore close to the house. The red-haired man sat in it, and motioned for Yahiko to come on down. Yahiko opened the door, waved to Kaoru and darted down the many stairs to the waiting boat.

Kaoru stood in the doorway, at the top of the landing, and watched them push away from the shore. The bright morning shine of the sun blossomed and enveloped her. The water shone with cheerful ripples, lapping happily against the shore. A smile creased her lips when Kenshin turned and lifted a hand to wave back at her. She bit her bottom lip and raised her hand in response, waving it back and forth slowly in response.

When they had disappeared from her sight, she sighed and clasped her hands in front of her. Turning, she stepped inside to call her close friend, Misao. The door shut with a small click, the red curtain pulled upwards from the window, allowing the sun to enter the house.

What a beautiful morning.

So full of hope.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I'm delightfully pleased with the way this chapter turned out. I managed to get it all done in one night, and proof read by the next day to be posted. Faster than any chapter I've written so far. It's funny, but for some odd reason I've written every chapter of this particular story out by hand, then typed it up on the 'puter. It's a process I absolutely detest. But it seems to be working out well, I think.


	5. Cordial Cards

**Author's Note**: Well, here's the fifth installment! It took me longer than I originally thought it'd take to put this up. I couldn't figure how I was going to start the frickin' thing. I knew what I wanted to do…just didn't know how to get there. Ah, the joys of writing I tell you.

This chapter happens to actually be the longest of the ones I've posted for this story. I hate that they always end up around 4 or so pages. Grrr. But, thankfully, this one exceeds to about seven pages according to my word processor. Not much more, but it's getting better, I think.

**Reviewer Responses**:

cyjj - Thank you very much. A simple review, but containing a lot of oomph. (smile) Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Ange Noir - I'm glad you've forgiven me for that short chapter 3. That certain load is now definitely off my chest, but now I've got the unfortunate weight of figuring out how to write the next chapter. It never ends! (grin) Mmm…I wonder what'll happen with Kenshin and Kaoru's relationship, too. I guess we'll have to wait and read to find out, right! Here's the fifth chapter…hope you enjoy it as well. And I probably won't update till after your b-day, so once again, I hope you have a great birthday.

erica6060 - Yes, there is a lot of hope, isn't there. Thanks for reviewing again!

Brittanie Love - Here's the update. I hope you like this chapter as well. Thanks for your kind review.

Bradybunch4529 - It relieves me that the story's fitting together well…I had some doubts at first, but you've helped to alleviate those some. Thanks for your very welcome thoughts. I'm very happy you enjoyed reading and I'm glad you reviewed again.

chakitattyla2h8 - I think some of that imagery you're talking about comes from my previous involvement with poems…I used to be obsessed with writing them. Over a period of about two years, I probably wrote at least sixty. Sigh. After high school, I just stopped for some odd reason. I guess my poor muse deserted me. Although, I did write one about a month ago. Anywho, poetry has really helped me with my vocabulary, image formulation, and use of alliteration. Oh, how I love alliteration. But as for your story idea for Inuyasha…I find that brainstorming really helps me come up with the scenes and ideas. You wouldn't believe how writing down small details helps. If you ever do get around to writing it, tell me, and I'll be sure to check it out! Mmm…and yes, Kaoru does know that Kenshin is divorced…I believe I said that in chapter three in case you're wondering where. Thanks for reviewing again. (smile) I'm glad you enjoyed chapter 4.

squishysquashy - Welcome! Thanks for your very nice review. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

kitsune - Another new reviewer! Yay! Hope this update is fast enough. (grin) Thanks for leaving your thoughts.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Although, I do own a Chihuahua whose idea of home-safety is to attack any stranger who dares enter her territory. The yappy fiend!

Revised 3/3/11

_**Tendrils of Sunset**_

**Chapter 5**

_"Cordial Cards"_

Kaoru tapped her short fingernails against the wood top of the small round table and gave the other occupants an annoyed frown. She fidgeted anxiously in her chair and crossed, then uncrossed her ankles. Her heart skittered in her chest, beating erratically as her nerves tingled. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as her eyes bore holes in the small pieces of paper she held in her hand.

Her young cousin was antsy, too, leaning forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the table while his eyes studied the neon blue paper sitting diagonally in the middle of the table. But, Yahiko wasn't nervous like Kaoru; he seemed to be anticipating something, and she had a sinking feeling it wan't good news for her. He was unsuccessfully trying to hide a smug smile.

Sano, the third and final occupant of the table, sighed dejectedly and clenched his teeth down on the mangled lavender straw between his lips. His shoulders were slumped in defeat, his muscles tense with a poorly hidden hostility. His eyes flashed with irritation as he slammed down the cards onto the tabletop.

"I'm done," he stated, breaking the tense silence. His eyes scanned the innocent looking teenager and the agitated woman. "I've had it." Sano's eyes narrowed and he pointed a finger at Yahiko who raised a skeptical eyebrow in response. "The little rat has the game rigged. Don't mess with the law, son."

Kaoru's eyes lifted from the cards in her hand, momentarily relieved of the tension of the card game. In response to his retarded accusation, she kicked Sano's shin underneath the table. "You're the dealer, you baby. How could Yahiko have rigged the game?"

Sano sputtered, for once speechless, caught in his own fabrication. Yahiko resumed his carefree expression, revealing nothing about the cards he held within his steady hand.

While Kaoru held some admittedly good cards, they weren't great and she feared the kid would beat both her and rooster head again for the fifth time in a row. 'For the love of God, when would it stop?' she thought melodramatically, involuntarily clenching the cards she held in her fingers, permanently creasing them. A drop of sweat slid down her flushed forehead as Yahiko thumbed through his cards for a final time, humming softly to himself, knowing full well the subtle noise broke Kaoru's intense concentration. But by now, she knew there was no hope for her victory in this sorry game of poker. The little pea-brain had won again.

"Alright," she uttered in a wary tone, "show me what you've you got."

For the first time in ten minutes, his eyes flashed with superiority. "You first, cousin," he replied leaning in closer. "I won the last round, so you have to do what I say."

Kaoru sputtered a little at that outrageous comment, but realized there was no reason to delay the inevitable. She cleared her throat and frowned. With a twist of her slim wrist, she flipped the cards over and laid them on their back for the young boy to see. A chuckle started low in Yahiko's throat as he flipped his cards out with a wink of pizzazz and laid them down on the table slowly and carefully like gems to be cherished.

"Oh, the sadness of it all," he started with a sickening haughty smile, "I win once again against you sorry saps. You really should learn how to -"

Unable to take the ribbing of someone almost ten years younger than himself, Sano slapped out his hand and jerked the wood chair out from under the preening teen. Yahiko crashed down on to the floor with a startled shout, flailing his arms out to the side like a floppy ragdoll. While Kaoru knew she should step in and defend the little snail, a part of her bloomed with pride for the overzealous cop who sat beside her, sneering down at Yahiko. The boys both burst out shouting at one another in unison, throwing insults, waving fists and snorting like prized fighting bulls.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Kaoru stopped the loud verbal brawling the only way she knew how. She grabbed Sano's ear, twisted it, and smiled when he whimpered and sputtered like a ten year old begging to be let go. While she enjoyed him putting the teenager in his place, Sano really did need to learn how to act his own age. She let go of his ear and turned to Yahiko who stood smirking at the police officer's pain.

"You," she said forcefully, wiping the smile off his face and pointing to the chair he had been so rudely forced from. Rolling his eyes, he settled back down into the chair and pulled it back to the table. Sano practically mirrored Yahiko's movements, but leaned back in his chair instead, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Now how are we going to settle this, Yahiko? Who do you want to do what?" Kaoru asked, pulling the neon blue paper over to her, pen ready in her hand. "Should I divide five of your chores up as evenly as possible between the two of us or what?"

Yahiko contemplated his pan of action, closing his eyes and scrunching up his brows in mock confusion. He let out a satisfied grunt and replied, "Give 'em all to Sano. The lazy cur always seems to fawn off all his chores on you. I'll make sure he does these."

A flash of disbelief streaked over Sano's face as he tried to reason with the kid in vane. He could feel his future crumbling around his feet as _sweeping, dishes, feed the geese, clean back shed, _and _chop fire wood_ drummed his senses. How in the hell was he supposed to woo the fair Megumi back into his waiting arms now with all his spare time eaten up by these time-consuming chores? No amount of pleading, bargaining, or whining managed to alleviate him from the fix he found himself in.

Kaoru sighed, relieved. She had enough work to do the way it was. She didn't need to add more duties to her already absurdly busy days. She wrote in Sano's name in the slots on the paper for the jobs he now had to fulfill and pushed away from the table to pin it on the announcement board in the den. It was the same announcement board that held at least a hundred photos of her and Kenshin from their younger years. She reached up to tug down one of the photos that had always been a favorite of hers.

It depicted a night she'd always cherish.

Her senior prom.

Kaoru had had a difficult time finding a prom date for the fateful dance. Three days before the dance, a cheerful boy who sat beside her in English class had asked her to accompany him. He'd been abashed and red-faced about the short-notice, but Kaoru accepted his kind proposal happily. But, the morning of the dance, he called to tell her that he'd come down with a stomach virus he caught from his little sister and he felt too weak to attend the prom. Kaoru had called Kenshin, who was away at college, in tears. He had been understanding and saddened by her sudden misfortune. That night, as Kaoru sat in front of the television to watch an old black and white movie with a large bowl of popcorn and a jug of soda, clad in her baggy snowmen pajamas, Kenshin had walked through the archway of her den wearing a tux.

Apparently, the second she had hung up with him, he had hopped into his car and driven for four hours. He had borrowed the tux from his roommate in the rush to get to her, knowing there was no way he'd be able to rent one in time. The prom had been magical night of sparkling hopes and dreams for her because she had been able to spend it with him.

In the photo Kaoru now held in her hand, they were on the dance floor, swaying softly to the gentle beat of the music. Her midnight blue dress was embroidered with hundreds of little cream butterflies. While she couldn't remember what Kenshin had said at the exact moment the photo had been taken, it must have made her insides curl and her heart to race for they stared each other in the eyes, their heads bowed close together in amusement as they laughed. Happy seemed to be an understatement. The night had been splendidly glorious.

Kaoru slipped the photo into the left pocket of her jeans and turned back to Sano and Yahiko who appeared to be having an intense staring competition. Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, she uttered an explicit remark underneath her breath and ambled back over to the table to collect the scattered cards. She left the cards on the table, knowing Sano would want a rematch in the near future.

"You might want to go and head on upstairs, Yahiko. It's late and tomorrow's the start of a new school year," Kaoru said turning to walk into the kitchen.

Yahiko didn't argue, but rolled his eyes. School. He grimaced as an unwelcome sensation of nervousness skittered his spine. Dragging his feet, Yahiko stomped up the stairs to his second-story bedroom. Sano remained behind, grabbed the remote to the large television in the corner of room, plonked down in the most comfy chair in the room and flipped on the television.

Knowing she still had a lot of cleaning around the island because of the storm a week ago, Kaoru decided to turn in after she shut off all the appliances in the kitchen. Afterwards, she flipped off the overhead kitchen light, settling the cheerful room in darkness, though, destined to be lit once more in the morning when the grinning sun slid over the shadowed hills outside, alighting the room with renewed daylight.

Kaoru slowly trudged up the stairs and walked down the carpeted hallway to her bedroom. She passed the open door to Sano's room, making a point to not look inside for fear of the mess that she knew he'd made, and she passed the closed door the Yahiko's room where a garble of musical notes and half-shouted lyrics escaped. When she reached her destination, she turned the doorknob and stepped inside her warm haven. The last thing she did before she slipped between the comforting sheets of her bed was place the photo of her and Kenshin against the base of the lamp on her nightstand beside the photo of her smiling parents.

When she drifted to sleep, her mind was filled with Kenshin.

* * *

She felt like pulling her hair out piece by piece. Sending her cousin a look that could have flayed him alive on the spot, Kaoru grabbed the paper bag off the kitchen counter and shoved it into his already full arms.

He let a frustrated groan and sent her a look teeming with misery. "We went over this, Kaoru. I don't want to take a lunch. Just get me some money to buy something from the cafeteria."

Kaoru quickly swept her hair into a sloppy ponytail, brushed past her cousin and stepped into the foyer to grab her jacket. "Look, Yahiko," she uttered, barely containing the irritation she'd woken up with. "I don't have any spare change on me at the moment, so this'll have to do for the meantime." She stopped, turning to him with a frown etched on her brow. "I took lunches to school. What's the problem?"

Characteristic of many teens of the decade, he chose to ignore her comment and shuffled out the door in silent rebellion. She followed him and distantly heard the grumbles he uttered underneath his breath as he slumped his shoulders and walked down the steps to Kenshin's boat. Kaoru waved an absent hand in Kenshin's direction, her mind filled with thoughts of repair, and walked the opposite direction down the sloped hill to the woods. Her booted feet sank in the heavy mud, causing her to walk more slowly than she planned. Kaoru let out a breath of air and blew her bangs away from her eyes.

Kaoru made her way to the small shack where she kept the feed for the geese, grabbed a pail from the musky building and closed the door behind her with a loud snap. She trudged along the shore of the abnormally high lake tide due to the recent rain and smiled happily when the geese noticed her presence. Well…more like the presence of the food she carried. The only thing they loved better than the feed she brought was the bread she sometimes broke down and fed them for a special treat. On those days, she was a savoir to their little honking flock.

Kaoru reached in the bucket, grabbed a handful of feed, and sprinkled it along the pathway and into the designated places she had devised when she was younger. The geese flocked around her, honking and preening their feathers, enjoying the attention she flourished on them. One of her favorites, a Canadian goose she named Gunther, came over to her and lightly bit onto the bottom of her jeans, tugging them for attention. Swiftly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small scrap of her morning croissant and before the others could manage to see what she was doing, gave the bread to the silly Gunther. He curved his long neck downward and spread his wings in response, embracing the morning. His black eyes blinked at Kaoru, watching her for a second, and then he turned and joined his family for breakfast.

After spreading out all the feed, Kaoru left the rippling shore and headed back to the shed to replace the bucket. Inside, she grabbed the wheel-barrel she planned to put debris into. On her way down a covered path to the most affected part of the island, she halted when the current tune programmed on her cell-phone filtered into the thick morning air, gaining volume with every second. She plucked the vibrating electronic piece from her belt case.

Pressing the TALK button, she put the phone to her ear and said, "Hello?"

"Oh, thank God. I tried the house, but you didn't answer," the bubbly voice on the other end rushed out in one breath. "I'm in a bit of bind here."

Kaoru stepped over a fallen log in the path and let a smile curl her lips. "Why am I not surprised? And what would this problem be, Misao?" she replied. She started to bend over to pick the log up when Misao's voice burst once more through the phone.

"I recommended a teacher to fill an empty slot in our roster, but he turned out to be a bad choice. As of right now I have no teacher for the photography lecture that's supposed to be brand new this year. A lot of students signed up for it and parents are expecting it," Misao hurried on.

Kaoru felt a prickle of warning on the back of her neck. "Now what are you going to do?"

Silence met her answer, making her faintly nervous. Finally Misao spoke, albeit softly and hesitantly, "Uh, that's where I had, um, hoped…you…would come in, Kaoru." Before Kaoru could reply, Misao rushed on breathlessly, "You're a professional photographer and you have a degree in teaching. It'd only be two classes twice a week from 11:30 - 12:15 and 2:15 - 3:00." Misao stopped.

Silence.

"Kaoru?" she asked.

Work? As a photographer, again? A bit of warmth spread through Kaoru's chest as she thought about the possibility. She missed spending all day with her camera and inside her darkroom. Granted there were thousands of picturesque scenes at home, she just hadn't been able to find the time to spend on herself and her work. The possibility that she might be able to spend some time with the subject she so loved made her heart skip a beat.

Could she make it work? Would spending mornings and afternoons on the island suffice? There was only one way to find out…

Kaoru leaned against the trunk of a damp tree lining the path and sighed as a secret smile curled her lips. She shifted the cell phone from her left to her right ear. "If you weren't my friend…" she started, making Misao squirm. "Alright. Only for this semester, though. You'll have to find a replacement to fill the rest of the year."

Misao squealed so loud Kaoru had to jerk the phone away from her ear for fear of being deafened. Misao's replies were jumbled together in jubilant expressions of gratitude and relief. "Thank you, thank you, thank you…," she murmured over and over again, her voice getting softer every time she said it.

Kaoru reached down and picked up the stray log, tossing it in the bed of the wheel-barrel with other scraps she had previously found. She shuffled to the edge of the path, looking through the trees to the house. She had quite a bit of work to do up there today as well, she thought, sighing dismally, puffing her cheeks out in frustration. Lost in her thoughts, she almost missed Misao's next comment.

"So can you get over here in about thirty minutes? There's a staff orientation during lunch time. Plus you have to have your introductory class at 11:30 right before the meeting," Misao rambled, apparently reading from a piece of paper.

"Today? I have to start today?" Kaoru asked dumfounded. She dropped the stick she held in her hand as panic crept into her voice. "But…but…I don't have any material ready! What am I supposed to be introducing them to? What's the course about? I…I…Misao!"

Misao made a funny sound in her throat. There was some shuffling, then thumping. Finally Misao whispered into the phone, "Just get down here a soon as you can. I'll give the layout of the course and what you're expected to teach. We have equipment here, so don't bring anything."

"Why are you whispering?" Kaoru asked suspiciously.

"My boss just walked in," she hissed. "I have to go. Bye."

Kaoru stood with the phone pasted to her ear, the dial tone humming for a few seconds while she spaced out. A Blue-Jay flapped by her, landing swiftly on the lip of the wheel-barrel. Curling his wings around his body as he rested momentarily before taking off, he fluffed his brilliant feathers out, smiling at Kaoru. The small bird cocked his head to the side and let out a tinkle of melody before spreading his wings and flying out of sight once more. Kaoru's eyes turned to the dirt as she sighed. Apprehension, confusion, exhilaration, and delight clouded her mind.

Leaving the wheel-barrel where it stood, Kaoru turned and hurried up the path to the house. If what Misao had said was true, she needed to haul butt.

Three hours later, Kaoru slumped against the desk she'd taught at for the past forty-five minutes, thinking about murdering Misao for the situation she'd been put her in. Apparently, the teacher who was supposed to originally take the job had been a prestigious and widely publicized artist. His teaching at the school had been greatly anticipated by students, teachers, and parents. When the students had realized that someone else was going to be teaching the class, many of the teenagers had dragged their feet with moans and rolled eyes.

Determination filled her muscles as Kaoru thought of showing them that a world-famous photographer was still going to be a teaching their class, despite the fact that she was a young woman who had only been a professional photographer for a short while. However, despite their seemingly poor first impression of her, Kaoru was an excellent photographer, respected by her many peers.

Kaoru crossed her arms over her chest, a frown creasing her mouth and forehead. She'd show the little whiners who they were dealing with. Plans for the next lesson were already unraveling in her mind, making her eyes glint with excitement.

"I see someone is in for a beating," a masculine voice from the doorway said quietly, taking note of her foreboding expression.

Kaoru's eyes darted from the floor to the man who casually leaned against the doorjamb of her classroom. A smile creased his mouth as his violet eyes twinkled with mischief. "Do you not like your students?" Kenshin asked, grinning at Kaoru's blank face.

A dark look flashed over her features as she scowled at him. "It's more of a case of my students not liking me." Kaoru turned and started to put her papers back into the canvas bag she brought with her. "Misao failed to mention to me that any new teacher for the photography lecture was going to be ostracized."

Kenshin chuckled and stepped into the room. "If she had told you that, you wouldn't have taken the job." He took the bag from Kaoru's hands and slung it over his shoulder with ease. "You should have seen her this morning. She looked as if she was about to jump out of the second-story window in desperation. That principal of ours can sure be ruthless at times."

Kaoru let Kenshin take her arm and lead her out of the room. They joined the endless procession of chattering teenagers who hurried to the cafeteria to get their lunch. Kaoru didn't see her cousin, but she wasn't surprised, considering the magnitude of students that attended the public high school.

"Still your Uncle Hiko, is it?" she asked, peering up at Kenshin's face.

He grinned down at her, his red bangs falling into his eyes. "Who else?"

A low whistle sounded behind them, causing Kaoru to stiffen and cringe. You had to be kidding. She'd be working with him? She took a peek at Kenshin, noticing he looked…somewhat…amused. Huh?

Kaoru turned slowly and came face to face with the bane of her high school existence - the man who had made her school life a living hell.

The terrible Mr. Saitoh.

A customary cigarette dangled from his mouth as he turned his slitted eyes to her familiar face. He let out a grumble of irritation and placed a hand on his hip.

"I see I'll be having to deal with _you_ again," he said a quiet, disgusted tone. "Don't get in my way, Kamiya. Himura and I have an understanding. We avoid each other. I hope you do the same." With that last, final comment of distain, he brushed past the glowering young woman and smiling young man.

Kenshin laughed softly at Kaoru's grim expression and poked her with his elbow, nudging her out of her thoughts.

"Come on, Kaoru. Let's get to that meeting."

* * *

Yahiko groaned into his glass of soda. "I can't believe you teach at my school. That's like…having someone always watching you." His shoved his fork through the fluffy mashed potatoes on his plate and dunked a broccoli tree into the messy madness.

Sano grimaced at Yahiko's movement. "Man, don't waste the food. It may not be good, but it's still food."

Kaoru let Sano's comment roll off her shoulders. It did no good the retort to his off-hand comments about her cooking. And it didn't make sense to argue with him when she agreed with what he said. Damn Sano for being right.

Yahiko's head snapped up, forgetting he was currently chewing a mouth-full of food and asked, flakes of bread falling from his lips, "You're not going to talk to my teachers about me, right? I mean, I make good grades."

"Chew your food," Kaoru replied. Raising her eyebrow and smiling mischievously at the teenager, she said, "Well, I might just check in on you. I'm not our evil aunt, so I won't ignore your grades, but I expect you to do well. If checking up on you everyday accomplishes good grades, then I guess that's what I'll have to do."

Yahiko narrowed his eyes and peered at her suspiciously. "Are you pulling my leg? You only work two days a week. How could you check everyday?"

Sano tapped the red band around his forehead and cocked his head to the side. "There's always the telephone, little man."

Yahiko growled at Sano's nickname. Though, his scathing remark was lost to Kaoru when a knock sounded on the kitchen door behind her.

She slid her chair back from the table, taking her empty plate with her. She placed it in the sink, then plodded to the kitchen door leading to the brisk night outside. Kaoru opened the door and smiled. Leaning her head against the edge of the door, she said happily, "I was wondering who it would be." Leaning in close to the person, she whispered, "We don't get many solicitors out here."

Kenshin smiled, his hands clasped behind his back. "I wonder why," he responded, winking at her. Withdrawing his hands from behind his back, he held his calloused hand out, palm up. A deck of brightly colored cards from past days stared up at her. "Found these the other day while cleaning the house. Thought you might want them back."

"Funny, they were yours to begin with…" she responded, blinking at him, amazed the cards still existed in one piece. Kaoru reached out and took them from him, her fingers brushing his causing a shock of electricity to tingle from her fingertips up to her shoulder.

Stepping aside, she said with amusement, "Why don't we make use of them? Sano's been edging to play all day and Yahiko would love to be able to brag about beating you. Plus…I'd love to try my hand at finally whooping you good."

"We'll see about that, Kamiya," he replied, slipping past her and into the already rowdy kitchen. Yahiko and Sano welcomed the small man with shouts of laughter and grins.

Kaoru closed the door behind him.

It was going to be an interesting night.


	6. A Feathered Sunrise

**Author's Note**: This chapter, I think, was the hardest so far to write. Stupid me actually wrote the middle of it, then the beginning, and then _finally_ I got to the ending. Sheesh, that was confusing. (scratches head and sighs)

But, anyways, I'm bringing in more interaction with Sano in this chapter. I figured we needed a slight break from the main two characters' thoughts. So, look forward to Sanosuke. (grins and winks)

* * *

**Flashback is in italics.**

* * *

**Reviewer Responses**:

You all are **so great**. Thanks so much for responding. Reviews really, honestly, truly get my fingers typing faster on the next installment. And 'cause you guys were so nice, I updated sooner than I originally planned. So kudos to you all!

Brittanie Love: Yeah, Kaoru teaching…I know…slightly odd. Makes some sense, though. After all she does teach Yahiko in the anime… :cough: just not photography :cough: lol. Teenagers can be monsters…but I think eventually they'll begin to like their unexpected teacher. Well, at least we all hope, right? Thanks so much for reviewing. Here's the update. Hope you enjoy.

Bradybunch4529: Hello again! Breathtaking, huh? You make me feel so proud. (hugs self and grins) Thanks so much. I was going for that initial confusion...I'm glad it worked. I always love reading and watching scenes like that, so I figured I'd try to write one. And it was great fun! Thanks again for your nice thoughts. Hope you review for this chapter, too.

oro-chan: I'm so happy you loved it. Thanks bunches for taking the time to leave your thoughts. Hopefully, you'll love this chapter as well!

person: Oh, you are so nice. I love you. You think my story's absolutely beautiful? I think your review is beautiful as well. I swear I was walking on clouds the entire day, grinning stupidly, after I read it. And you helped me refresh those brain cells I'd been so pathetically lacking! I just can't say how much it means for someone to say so many kind and thoughtful things about my writing. I just…don't know how to respond! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you…(takes deep breath)…thank you. I hope this chapter fits well with the rest…

Irulan 24: Actually, I originally planned to bring another man in, but as the plot evolved in my mind and my endless notes I have jotted down on random sheets of paper, I kind of discarded that idea. I really don't want to follow the usual…Kaoru meets Enishi…Kenshin becomes jealous of him…they fight…Kaoru ends up with Kenshin. But, if I do end up putting another guy in there, it won't be Enishi and he won't have a very important part in the story. I know where I want the story to go and I don't want to complicate it with too many factors. But, anywho, thanks very much for the suggestion. Good idea, I'm just not sure how it'll fit in the stream of my plans. I'm glad you think it's interesting so far and I'm very happy you left your thoughts and suggestion. Thanks! (smile)

animegurl23: Wow…you reviewed them all in the same day! Good for you. Not attending the wedding…I know, how rude. What was she thinking! Winds can be very strong, especially if they are associated with freak storms. Water spout…tornado over water…would definitely have strong winds. At least I hope. (wink) I'm very glad you like the story so far. Thanks muchly for your many thoughts. Here's the next chapter.

Nanakiyoda: As I always say…patience is a virtue. It's good to see you have it in your repertoire. (smile) Thanks for reviewing.

kitsune: I'm so very happy you support me. (thumbs up) Here's your update. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. But…I do happen to own a stuffed Red Panda that sits on the chair in my room. Little cutie, that he is.

_**Tendrils of Sunset**_

**Chapter 6**

_"A Feathered Sunrise"_

A somber voice droned on, lulling tired teenagers into misty-eyed daydreams. Through the small rectangular window in the classroom door, Kaoru watched a fellow teacher talk uninterestingly about his lecture material to a class full of bored students. A boy in the front row lowered his head into his folded arms and promptly zoned out, ignoring the monotone talking. Apparently the teacher either didn't see him, which seemed very unlikely, or decided to overlook the rude action. Kaoru decided on the latter.

Leaning against the hard concrete of the wall, Kaoru let her eyes trail the wide hallway she stood in. Absent momentarily of ambling students, it seemed too empty. Stray papers littered the purple-checkered floor while backpacks rested against closed orange lockers. Kaoru adjusted the strap of the bag on her shoulder and crossed her arms over chest. She glanced at the large ticking clock mounted on the wall above the lockers and sighed. The current period would be over in less than a minute, soon followed by the rush of trembling bodies making their way to their next class. Kaoru started to hum absentmindedly, ticking the seconds off in her head. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and fidgeted, her black shoes pinching her toes.

A loud zing zipped through the air, slashing through the silence and jolting students out of their stupefied states. Doors flew open as the teenagers spilled out, their talking and laughter garbling together in a loud whoosh of voices. Kaoru stepped back as the door beside her opened. She silently watched as students filed out. Her gaze darted over them, looking for one boy in particular. When he walked through the door, shoving a book into his blue backpack, Kaoru grabbed the hood of his jacket and pulled him out of the rush of bodies.

Yahiko sputtered, fumbling with his backpack as he jerked to a stop against the wall. Outraged by Kaoru's action, he turned to her, eyes flashing angrily. "What the hell, Kaoru?" he hissed.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow and leaned her shoulder against the wall next to him. "Oh, hush." She reached inside the pocket of her black dress pants and pulled out a small wad of money. She shoved it underneath Yahiko's nose. "Let's trade. Your lunch for my money."

His nose twitched. Giving her a skeptical look, he took the money from her fingers. "What are we doing this for," he asked suspiciously. He jammed the money into the pocket of his jeans and reached inside his backpack to pull out the brown paper sack containing the lunch Kaoru had thrown together that morning.

Kaoru took it from him and put it in the front pocket of her briefcase. "I just don't feel like buying lunch. You've been begging to buy lunch for weeks, so I figured you wouldn't mind if I ambushed you."

Yahiko sighed and shook his head. "Whatever." He adjusted his backpack. "I'm going to be late for class. So are you if you don't hustle, cousin." He gave her a pointed look and turned away. Yahiko started down the hall and stuck his hands in his jacket pockets.

Kaoru smiled as she watched him turn the corner and disappear out of sight. Life was definitely interesting with the little squirt around. She sighed. She better get to her class. Her students were probably waiting.

When Kaoru walked into the sparsely decorated art room, there were already a few students sittingat their desks. They were chatting amongst each other, laughing and dramatically motioning with their hands. Kaoru placed the enlarged photograph she carried in her hand against the wall underneath the chalkboard. The blank white back faced the students. She'd reveal the actual photo during the class period.

As more students ambled in and took their seats, Kaoru put her briefcase on top of the desk and pulled out her notes and a purple pen. Thirty seconds later, the nearby bell rang loudly, announcing all students should be seated and class should begin.

Kaoru stepped from behind the mahogany desk and eyed the twenty teenagers. A few stared at her, interest clouding their gaze. Two or three twiddled their fingers against the pseudo-wood of their desk while trying to appear interested. The remaining students let their minds wander into oblivion, geared to ignore their teacher's movements, words, and instructions. Typical.

Kaoru crossed her ankles and leaned back against the desk behind her. Instead of beginning the lecture scheduled to start promptly with the piercing ring of the commencement bell, Kaoru sealed her lips. Silence reigned supreme. Students fidgeted. Anxiousness trickled through their previously relaxed limbs. One girl turned her gaze from the window's image of cloudy gloom and under the guise of her eyelashes, she examined her teacher's muted frame.

What was the teacher doing? A wave of hushed whispers started to fill the thick air. Thoughts of disinterest were replaced by intriguing thoughts of confusion, impatience, and apt curiosity.

When all eyes were on Kaoru's still form, clouded with some sort of emotion, Kaoru felt a smile pull at her previously flattened lips. Raising an eyebrow, she crossed her arms over her chest and asked a simple question.

"What do you believe is the heart of a photograph?"

Dumbfounded by the question, they stared at her with a mixture of frowns and conceited smirks. A young girl with sloppily braided pigtails and thinly framed glasses tilted her head to the side and cleared her throat.

"Um," she started hesitantly, "It's what the artist intends to be the focus?"

Kaoru pushed away from the desk and moved to the center of the room. She reached down, grabbed the top of the photograph she'd previously placed against the wall and flipped it around. Resting the back against the chalkboard, she revealed the face of the photo to the class.

"What is the heart of this photograph?"

Through the eyes of a bored teenager, one might think the flapping swan in the enlarged photograph was just a bird in a somewhat dirty pond. But, if admired with an open mind, the swan majestically morphed into a feathered beauty bathing in sparkling sun-warmed waters.

The same pigtailed girl answered, confidence creeping into her typically tentative voice. "The eyes."

Kaoru turned and gazed at the bird's black eyes. Glowing with merriment and hinted intelligence, the clarity of the eyes reflected the swan's glorious playfulness. Kaoru nodded slowly.

"Yes," she replied, pleasure lighting her vision. "Very good, Karri." Kaoru turned to the others who gazed at the photograph with bewilderment marring their features. But as they began to examine the bird more closely, comprehension dawned and they admired it in a new light.

"What else makes this photo pleasing to the eye?" Kaoru asked scanning the students' faces.

"The wings," a male voice piped from the back of the room.

Kaoru craned her neck to the side and asked, "Very good. Who said that?"

A young man with a red baseball cap raised his arm. "I did."

"And what's your name?"

He set the pen in his hand down on top of the desk and sat back in his chair. "Daniel."

Kaoru smiled at him. "What is it about the wings that accentuate the image of the swan, Daniel?"

He swallowed, and looked back at the photo. Motioning with his hands, he replied, "The angles. They draw the eyes into the photo. When you follow the direction of the wings, you're drawn to its eyes, the focus of the photo."

Pleased immensely with his response, Kaoru grinned. "I see someone did their homework. Both you and Karri should give yourselves a pat on your back." Kaoru turned from the photo and moved to the desk to pick up her notes. "Okay. Why don't we get started with the fun stuff, huh?" she said, looking up at her students who fidgeted in their chairs with something akin to anticipation. "Before we get started, do any of you have any questions?" she asked.

A girl wearing a pink dress raised her arm shyly. "Miss Kamiya," she asked, tilting her head to the side, "Who shot that photo of the swan?"

Kaoru smiled and tapped her pen against her notes. "I did. A few years ago. The swan's name is Davenport. He lives on my property. He's a kooky little fellow who loves to steal bread from you when you're not paying attention. I shot that photo right after he made off with a bread chunk I threw at his brother." A thought struck Kaoru. She jotted down some notes on the papers in her arms. "If you're lucky," she started as she wrote, "I might sponsor a field trip to Green Goose Island so you can take some photos of the geese. They are very, very vain creatures."

An excited hush filled the room as the students' eyes lit up with pleasure. Apparently, it was good idea.

"But," Kaoru started moving to the chalkboard, "We have to start with the basics. And that means making a pin-hole camera and learning how to set up the composition of your photo. After we do that, we'll start working with film. I don't think we'll develop any in the class darkroom this semester, though. I want you guys to be able to take great photos before getting into the technicalities of developing film and using an enlarger."

Kaoru grabbed a piece of chalk and started to jot down notes for the class to copy down.

* * *

Forty minutes later, Kaoru pulled back a chair in the cafeteria and sat down in a corner table labeled off for the teachers. She plopped the crumbled paper sack down in front of her and eyed it with distrust. Maybe she should have let Yahiko poison himself with her homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Deciding it was now or never, she frowned as she opened the top of the bag and pulled out the mushy sandwich. 

Beside her, a chair was pulled out and Kenshin sat down next to her. He placed his lunch down on the table and turned to her, laughter lighting his eyes. "You make that?" he teased, resting his elbows on the table and leaning over to get a good look at Kaoru's disgruntled face.

Kaoru kept her eyes glued on the sandwich as she pulled it out of the plastic bag. "Mmm," she mumbled in the back of her throat. Hesitantly, she brought the sandwich up to her mouth and took a small bite. The tacky peanut butter stuck to the roof of her mouth, while the orange marmalade flooded her mouth with a hideous flavor. Orange marmalade? Choking, she grabbed her neck as she forced the half chewed food down her throat. Damnit, she'd done it again. She'd grabbed the wrong jelly jar. She was going to have to move the two jars to opposite sides of the kitchen to insure the deathly mistake wouldn't be made again. "Water," she gasped, grasping for her bottle of water. Kenshin handed it to her and leaned back in his chair as she guzzled down the heavenly liquid.

"Mixed up the jellies, again?" he asked, giving her a knowing look.

She groaned and shoved the sandwich over in his direction. "Yes," she croaked. "Want it?" Kaoru asked, turning to him as her lips curled in a disgusted grimace.

He chuckled and shook his head. "I think I'll stick with something I know the ingredients of." Kenshin nudged her in the side with a grin and shook his head slowly. "After all these years, I figured you'd get some common sense about throwing a simple sandwich together. Why not just try a ham sandwich? You get the ham," he explained, holding out his left hand, "and then get the bread," he continued holding out his right hand, "and put them together." He slapped his hands together softly and turned his eyes to Kaoru's slightly green face. "Simple," Kenshin concluded.

Kaoru moaned silently in disagreement. "Ugh, too bland."

He sighed and shrugged, his violet eyes flashing with amusement. "I tried."

Kaoru pulled her paper sack closer to her and reached her hand into the mysterious blackness. She pulled out another plastic bag filled with potato chips. She raised an eyebrow and gave Kenshin a slightly smug look. "Can't go wrong with these, right? I had no hand in making these babies," she said, her face starting to regain its normal color. She pulled one of the chips out of the bag and popped it into her mouth.

Laughter bubbled in Kenshin's throat as he watched Kaoru's expression freeze, a look a misery marring her face. She swallowed roughly and sat still for a second. "I forgot."

"Homemade?" he replied, his shoulders shaking.

"Yeah."

* * *

Sanosuke Sagara shivered as the brisk wind wrapped its grasping fingers around him and ruffled his already disheveled brown hair. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the bold lettering on the shiny glass door. Nodding to himself, he straightened his shoulders with determination, schooled his usually lazy expression into a polite smile and pushed open the door. 

The bell attached to door tinkled as he stepped over the threshold into the doctor's office. A few adults with small children were scattered randomly in waiting room, biding their time till they were called back for their check-up. The pretty receptionist looked up with a smile. Her words of greeting died on her lips when she saw who entered. In a sardonic tone, she said, "This is a pediatrician's office. The adult doctors are next door."

Sano chuckled softly and sauntered up the counter. Resting his arms on the cool surface, he leaned over and winked. "Aw, shucks, Miranda. You know I'm just here for an office inspection." He pointed to the police badge attached to the front of his navy blue uniform and grinned.

She rolled her eyes and turned back to the sheet she'd been reading when he'd walked in. "Uh, huh. So this is what? The third inspection of this week?"

Sano sighed and tapped his fingers against the sign-in clipboard. "I know. But, you haven't actually let me back there to inspect anything. Your…doctor…seems to always be busy."

Miranda looked up, leaned forward and whispered in a slightly sarcastic tone, "I bet she's still busy, honey."

Sano's eyes flashed with resolve and he leaned back to jam his fingers underneath the lip of his belt. "I'm not leaving until Dr. Takani comes and talks to me." He stepped backwards and pointed to the pink and yellow sofa behind him. "I'll be sitting right there."

Sano turned his back on her and smiled when he heard Miranda's heavy sigh as she pushed back her chair and walked off. He ambled over to the sofa and sat down on the soft cushions. A small girl with long brown hair sat in front of him at a low coffee table. Her hair was pulled back in a blue satin ribbon picked to match the light blue coveralls she wore. Her cute face puckered with a frown as she tried to fit a mismatched puzzle piece into the middle of a lion's mane. Her eyes clouded with disappointed moisture when she realized she had the wrong piece. She placed it back into the pile of scattered puzzle pieces and grabbed a bright green jagged one. That definitely wasn't going to fit in the lion's yellow mane.

Sano scooted forward and cleared his throat. "Uh," he said softly, "try this one." He pulled a puzzle piece out of the pile and handed it to her. The little girl hesitantly took it from him, staring at him with wide eyes. She put the green piece aside and tried to fit Sano's piece into the little hole. It slid in perfectly. Somewhat surprised, Sano slid off the sofa and sat down on the carpet next to the girl. "Well, that worked well," he said with a smile. He turned to the happily nodding girl and said, "I'm Sano. What's your name?"

She swallowed painfully and whispered, "Amy." Her eyes clouded as she closed her mouth and rubbed a hand absently against her throat.

"Sore throat, huh?" Sano asked, his voice filled with genuine sympathy. "I had that a few weeks ago. Very painful." He smiled and motioned to door behind him that opened to the exam rooms. "The doctor here is really nice, though. So don't worry. She'll take real good care of you."

Amy smiled innocently at Sano and pointed to the puzzle in front of them.

He nodded and rubbed his hands together. "Alright! Let's get cracking with this giant cat."

That's exactly how Megumi found her errant ex-boyfriend fifteen minutes later: head huddled close to a giggling small girl, talking in a hushed voice with her. Sano gave the girl a brilliant smile and chuckled as she clapped her hands and bounced up and down. Megumi raised her eyebrows in surprise. They had finished the large puzzle.

She stepped closer to the pair and felt a small smile curl her lips at Sano's following words.

"You're really good at this, Amy," Sano said, his eyes twinkling. "You should get your Mom to buy one for you to do at home." The little girl leaned close to him and whispered in his ear. He laughed. "Well, get your brother to help you."

She nodded, her ponytail jiggling back in forth from her vibrant motions.

"Mr. Sagara," Megumi interrupted the pair in a formal voice. "I'm ready to take you on your…inspection," she finished with a slight frown.

Sano's head jerked up quickly, startled by Megumi's sudden appearance. A lazy grin melted his lips when he saw her standing in front him, one hand on her hip while the other clutched a clipboard to her chest. "Yes, ma'am," he replied.

He stood up from the carpet and brushed the wrinkles out of his slacks. Reaching down, he gently tapped Amy on the nose and winked. "You get better, Amy. Take care of yourself and continue working on puzzles. You sure are good at it."

Amy's green eyes danced with pleasure at Sano's kind words and she smiled. She waved at him as she watched him follow the pretty lady doctor into the green hall of the clinic.

Sano followed the fast walking Megumi into Exam Room 3, where she closed the door behind them with a brisk snap. She turned to him, her mouth pulled in a tight line, her nostrils flared in anger.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Sano leaned close to her, his eyes scanning her flushed face. He couldn't tell whether they were flushed because of his proximity to her or from the anger he had managed to pull out of her yet again. Shrugging to himself, either way it didn't matter. At least she was paying attention to him. Sano reached his hand up to run his fingers through her loose hair, but stopped when she took a step back. She thrust her chin up stubbornly.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated.

He sighed. "To see you, of course." He pouted and gave her a hurt look. "You haven't returned any of my calls."

Megumi sent Sano an annoyed glare. "Yeah, Sano. When I said we needed to take a break from each other, I meant it."

"Well, I don't think -"

"You don't get a say," she interrupted.

Sano's eyes narrowed with tactical calculation, and he stepped forward slowly. Megumi stepped back in response. She realized her mistake when her back hit the wall and she had nowhere to go. The rooster head had trapped her. Sano leaned in and placed his left hand against the wall beside her face. Moving in to where his face was mere inches from hers, he said, "That's not fair."

Megumi swallowed. "Not everything is fair, Sano."

He slid his head down with a roguish smile and nuzzled her neck tenderly. "I'm not leaving until you agree to give me a second chance."

Uncharacteristically flustered, she fumbled for the correct words. "Sano…I…we…you were...," she stuttered.

"I was what?"

She put her hands flush against his chest and pushed him away. He fell back away from her with a tired sigh and gave her a genuinely pleading look. "Please Megumi."

Turning away from him, she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "I don't know…"

Sano grabbed her hand and pulled her back around to look him in the eyes. "I promise I'll behave."

Megumi hesitated briefly, and clenched her teeth reflexively. "Well, alright. But, if you ever pull a stunt like you did with my parents I'll -"

"I know, I know," he blundered, his face beaming with an ecstatic grin. He stepped backwards and bumped into the door. She watched, slightly amused as he fumbled with the doorknob and barely managed to stumble out of the door in one piece. The door closed behind him with a soft click. Then jerked back open for Megumi to see his sheepish expression.

"I'll call you when I get off duty. I promise," he rushed, his eyes wide with promise.

Megumi leaned back against the exam table and crooked an eyebrow up. "You better."

He stood still for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. Megumi couldn't help but smile at his adorable face. As if realizing he was just standing there with a sappy expression on his face, Sano's eyes cleared and shook his head. He stepped back.

"Well, I better go. My shift starts in about ten minutes."

"Then you better hurry up, seeing as how it takes twenty minutes to get from here to the police station," she teased with a small smile on her colored lips.

Comprehension dawned on his features slowly. He jerked and cursed softly. He mumbled a fast farewell and hurried out of the doctor's office, leaving a certain doctor in a very good mood.

* * *

Dropping his keys on the table in front of the door, Kenshin stepped warily into his dark house. He plodded slowly down the dim hallway and opened the swinging door which led to kitchen. He dropped his beige bag onto one of the stools adjacent to the counter and went over to the metallic refrigerator to pull out a jug of chilled iced tea. Kenshin poured a healthy portion into a clear glass and replaced the jug back in the refrigerator. 

He glanced out the window over the marble sink and admired the clear night. Deciding to join the buzzing of chirping crickets outside, Kenshin slipped off his shoes and stepped over to the back door, pulling it open. The whoosh of cool air kissed his pale face and tousled his red bangs, blowing them in his eyes. His bare feet padded softly down the damp wooden dock flanked by tall green trees as he quietly made his way to the moonlit water.

He placed the glass of tea down onto the wood and then settled down on the edge, swinging his legs over the side of the dock and dipping them into the chilled lake water. He wiggled his toes lightheartedly when he felt the gentle brush of an inattentive fish against his foot. Turning his gaze upwards to the semi-clear night sky, Kenshin admired the brilliance of the stars. Playing hide and seek with the clouds, they playfully teased him with winking mischief.

Sighing, Kenshin looked back down to the rippling water, overwhelmed with thoughts of the past and fears for the future. Wishing to be distracted from troubling thoughts, Kenshin let the past wash over his racing mind. Closing his eyes, he drifted into the body of his younger and more innocent self.

_The cloaked night bathed the two teenagers in magical darkness. Huddled together in the white-roped hammock in Kenshin's backyard, they laid together in its folds and rested in comfortable silence. Kenshin was on his back, off center, while Kaoru laid diagonally, her head pillowed by his hard shoulder and one leg dangling off the side._

_"I hope this thing doesn't tip over," she whispered, her voice drifting through the night air._

_Kenshin chuckled and tugged lightly on her dark ponytail. "Don't move too much and I think we'll be okay."_

_Looking up at the umbrella cover of the trees, he admired the slide of the stars in-between the peppered leaves. Through a break in the branches, he could see the big dipper constellation swimming in the sky._

_Kaoru's eyes slid closed as she lazily basked in the darkness. She twined her fingers through the holes of the hammock and allowed herself to be lulled into a light slumber by the sound Kenshin's even breathing. She'd almost been wrapped in the swirling dream world, when Kenshin's voice broke the pleasant silence._

_"Can you see Cassiopeia?" he asked softly._

_Kaoru languidly opened her misty eyes and slowly scanned the sky for the structure of stars he mentioned. After a couple seconds, she murmured back, "No."_

_In response, he gently took a hold of her wrist and lifted her arm with his. Pointing their fingers to the W-shaped star constellation, he whispered into her ear, "There."_

_Her eyes traced the stars, taking in the majestic intensity of the luminous orbs. Smiling, she turned her hand to where she could twine her fingers with Kenshin's and laid their arms back down against their bodies. "So beautiful," she responded in a low voice. "Do you see anymore?" she asked, her voice filled with leisured curiosity._

_"Right there…," he continued, showing her more of the night's hidden treasures._

_Lying contently in the relaxed atmosphere of the nighttime, Kenshin and Kaoru spent precious hours admiring the winking sky as it changed with slow and stunning exquisiteness._

Smiling at the memory, Kenshin sat back, resting the palms of his hands against the rugged wood of the dock.He let his eyes shift back to sky, admiring many of the constellations that they had seen that night long ago. It was amazing how things could change with every passing day in the world of humans while the heavens remained untouched.

Kenshin remembered the painful misery of Kaoru's detachment, the slow crumbling of his marriage…and now the return of his cherished best friend into his life, breathing happiness into the humdrum of his formerly dank days. He hadn't realized how much Kaoru had truly meant to him until she hadn't been there. His ongoing distraction, constant thoughts of her, and annoyance at her abandonment of him surely hadn't helped the happy flow of his marriage with Tomoe either.

Kenshin shivered as he recalled the brutal truth of her words when she had announced her feelings for him. How could he have been so blind? To her and himself?

Did she still feel the same?

Thoughts of loving her that way had never crossed his pathetic mind until the day when she'd told him of her deep feelings. But with the opening of that Pandora's box, he couldn't help the flow of new thoughts that flooded his mind, the acceleration of his heart when she walked into the room, and the small trickle of desire that flamed in his belly. Should he explore these thoughts? These feelings?

Kenshin sighed, his heart thumping deep in his chest at the once formerly forbidden thoughts.

Maybe it was time.

* * *

**Author's Note**: You guys should go check out **Glorious Twilight**, the one-shot I posted a few days ago. It's Rurouni Kenshin and it's KK. I just love how it turned out. I wanted to take to time, also, to thank those that have reviewed it since I have no other way to do so…so erica6060, animegurl23, and Lexi-Teniro thanks muchly. 

Hopefully I'll be talking to all you guys soon about the next chapter of Tendrils of Sunset. Till then…I hope to read your reviews!

- Mana


	7. Radiant Splashes

**Author's Note**: I wrote this chapter amidst the onslaught of a sore throat and head cold. Ugh. But, now I'm happy to say it's almost gone. Still feeling the 'aftershocks,' but at least I can walk around without feeling like I'm about to topple over. (claps hands happily).

But, anywho, underneath the reader responses are some photo definitions.

Hope you enjoy…

**Reader Responses**:

Brittanie Love: First to review the new chapter again for the second time in a row. Good job. You're very fast. Thanks for reviewing.

Ange Noir: I took a photography class when I was a senior in high school…my photo class ended up being the guinea pigs, though, since it was the first year the school offered the course in about ten years. My dad and I set up a darkroom in our garage, which is still functional, because the chemicals at school weren't being mixed with the appropriate concentrations. :cough: distracted teacher :cough: But, yeah, I've been into photography most of my life…even won a contest when I was seventeen. Anyhow…about that review I wrote you for your story…sheesh…it is long, huh? I was surprised myself when I was finished. It ended up being about a page long in my word processor. But, hey, I love the long reviews. (grin) You're doing a great job so far. Keep it up! And thanks for reviewing my story again. Very happy you liked it.

person: I keep re-reading your reviews…can't seem to get enough of them. And I stand corrected: beautiful, the story is. I'll remember that. (smile) While you might be in awe there are writers like me out there, I'm in awe there are reviewers like you out there. You're just awesome. Thanks for reviewing Glorious Twilight, too. Gah, I just love that one-shot. I was curious to see what you thought about it. Now I know. (grin) And writing more one-shots…an idea actually popped into my head the other day. I thought I'd write it as a one-shot, but the more I think about it, the more I want to extend it. So, maybe I have another long fic on my hands here. I'll have to see. Anyways, thanks again. You're thoughts are _greatly_ appreciated.

Bradybunch4529: Another great review. You've gone and made me go all smiley again. (does a little jig) So, so, so happy you reviewed again. Brilliant? Aw, shucks…thanks so much. Here's another chapter. I hope you find it as enjoyable as the rest. (smile)

Aine of Knockaine: I see you've not only reviewed but added me to your favorites list. Thanks so much. I'm very happy you're enjoying this story. As to me not having more reviews...sigh…what can I say? Maybe I'll get more with time. Thanks for reviewing, though. Means bunches.

Megumi Readman: Favorite? Favorite author on the entire website? (stares in shock at computer screen) Wow. I don't know quite what to say, except…thanks. It seems I'm doing everything I've sought to do. Watching movie a in your mind? I do that when I read certain books…makes me ecstatic to think that I'm able to do it with my writing as well. I'll try to keep writing the same way. (swallows) I'll try really hard. Thanks so much for your wonderful review.

Wolfie-chan18: I'm very glad you dropped in a review. I did go by and review you're stories per your appeal. Keep up the good work. (smile) I'm happy you liked my story. And you put me on your favorites as well. Thanks!

* * *

**Definitions/Photography Information**:

Darkroom: Light-proof room usually lit with sometimes multiple safe lights to develop and process light-sensitive photo paper.

Safe lights: Specialized light bulbs that do not harm the extremely sensitive qualities of undeveloped photo paper.

I don't think I mention any other terms that might be unknown…If you have anymore questions or are just curious about the whole process, I've inserted a link in my bio in the 'Current Progress of Fics' under "Tendrils of Sunset." It's a nice website with great links and awesome information. I happened to accidentally stumble upon it one afternoon…

* * *

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

_**Tendrils of Sunset**_

**Chapter 7**

_"Radiant Splashes"_

Clipping the still wet photos onto a clothesline for drying, Kaoru hummed along with the simple melody playing on the radio in her darkroom. The soft red hue of the darkroom safe lights bathed her face as she contentedly set about her work. The pungent smell of the developing chemicals wafted through the dimly lit room clouding her nostrils with scents of photography. Water used to cleanse the newly developed photos slipped slowly down the slick surface of the paper, falling in small droplets on the white towel covering the floor directly beneath the drying-line. After carefully clipping the remaining photos up, she took a step back and sighed, brushing her wet fingers against the coarse material of her black apron. Checking around the room to make sure all the light-sensitive materials were put away, she flipped on the overhead lights and cut off the red safe lights. Crossing her arms over her chest, Kaoru returned to the wall of drying photos to admire her most recent work in the now brightly lit room.

Disappointed in a few and happily delighted with others, Kaoru decided her latest round of picture-taking was an unexpected success. She was especially pleased with the secret photo she shot of Yahiko while he leaned over to softly talk with a fuzzy hatchling. The yellow and brown baby duck peered up at the strange being with a slightly hesitant look while the mother remained relaxed, picking at the grass with her golden bill. Yahiko's eyes sparkled with secret marvel as he kneeled in the mud to observe the beautiful little creature. Kaoru smiled to herself and chuckled, wondering what Yahiko would do when he saw the photo. Tackle her, probably.

Turning away from the photos, she stepped over to the mauve counter where her different developing chemicals sat in shallow red trays. Deciding it was time to mix fresh chemicals and discard the now worn ones, she poured the old into different labeled waste jugs. She had almost finished the tedious process when someone started to pound loudly on the outside of her darkroom door.

"Kaoru? Kaoru!" Yahiko shouted through the thick wood door, "Come on. We're going to be late." He rattled the doorknob impatiently, let out of huff of annoyance and gritted his teeth. "You haven't forgotten have you?"

Kaoru stopped her present actions and trudged over to the door. She unlocked it, flipped off the 'in use' sign outside the door and opened it, a somewhat confused expression crossing her pale features. "Late for what?"

Yahiko blinked at her slapdash appearance and muttered a low expletive under his breath. "Geez, you aren't even dressed," he replied crossly, irritation rooting in his mind. "We have to be at school in less than an hour and you're still in your pajamas?"

Kaoru frowned and looked down at herself. What was wrong with her apron and blue-polka dotted pajamas? Confused and distracted, she muttered, "But…it's Saturday."

Yahiko shook his head in amazement and let out a low whistle. "Man, I think those chemicals of yours are clouding your memory. Remember?" he sighed. "Festival? Today…"

Clutching the door in her hand, Kaoru stood still for a minute. "Festival?" she mumbled to herself. "Festival, festival…," she trailed off trying to jog her memory. Closing her eyes and drooping warily against the steady frame of the door, she sighed. "I'm lost here."

"The festival for the school's anniversary."

She started to shake her head in denial, deciding Yahiko had lost his marbles when a stray thought hit her. Why had she gotten up at 3 o'clock in the morning to develop her pictures? Her eyes widened and she let out a short groan when she remembered late the night before, she had decided to rise early to get a head start on developing since she would be gone all day. Damn festival.

"That festival!" she whispered solemnly, panic creeping into her formerly befuddled tone. She turned to Yahiko, her eyes now mirroring his acute agitation.

Untying the apron, Kaoru brushed past him, shut the door to her darkroom and hurried up the five stairs leading to the living room. "How much time do we have?" she asked hurriedly over her shoulder.

Yahiko raised an eyebrow and bit the inside of his cheek. "Minus travel time, you have ten minutes to get ready."

Stumbling over the top step, she whipped out a hand to catch herself and bumped her knee against the polished wood floor. Kaoru winced, rolling her eyes upward in pain. Hissing out an aggrieved breath, she responded, "Ten minutes? How am I supposed to get ready in that amount of time? I…I still have to take a shower."

Yahiko followed his stuttering and flushed guardian into the living room. "Hustle would be my guess," he replied wryly. "I'll be in the kitchen eating the toast I made."

Kaoru jogged quickly up the wood staircase, and Yahiko turned the corner disappearing into the kitchen. He grabbed the hot toast from the metal toaster and settled down on a stool at the white-tiled island in the middle of the kitchen. Munching on buttered toast and sipping cool water, he read the headlines of the previous day's newspaper as the nervous young woman thumped around like a furious rabbit on the floor above. He'd almost finished his second piece of toast when he heard the back door open quietly. Turning, he gave Kenshin a welcoming smile and motioned him further in the unusually quiet room.

A huge thump from the floor above caused the ceiling fan to shake slightly. Kenshin gave Yahiko a somewhat quizzical look and raised his eyebrows.

"Kaoru," Yahiko responded to the silent question.

Comprehension dawned on Kenshin's features and he shook his head slowly. "Still isn't ready, is she?" he asked, taking a seat next to the boy.

"Nope."

They sat for several minutes in silence, Kenshin reading the paper with Yahiko, chuckling every now and then when he heard Kaoru moving around anxiously. But, then, an eerie silence settled, cloaking the house in an anomalous stillness. Almost like the surrounding calm before a tumultuous storm. Kenshin lifted his head from the controversial newspaper article just in time to see Kaoru tumble in.

Like a tornado, Kaoru scuttled into the kitchen still disheveled, her blue blouse miss-buttoned, hair flying around her face wildly, and bare-feet slapping the linoleum with a red sock clutched tightly in her hand. Slightly out of breath, she walked a circle around the kitchen, an annoyed frown pulling at her lips. Huffing indignantly, she turned to her cousin and absentmindedly grabbed the toast from his hand. Yahiko gave a startled bark of surprise and frowned as Kaoru popped the remaining bit of food in her mouth.

"Have you seen my other blue sock?" she asked, swallowing, leaning warily against the solid counter.

Giving her an odd look, Yahiko leaned back in his stool and replied, "But you have a red sock in your hand."

She opened her mouth to protest, but the words died a quick death when she noticed thatthere really was a red sock in her hand. "But…," she uttered softly, shaking her head as if clearing herself from a befuddled daze.

"Wear sandals," Kenshin suggested.

Her eyes widened at the unexpected voice and for the first time since she entered the room, she noticed Kenshin's appearance. Kaoru's eyes lit up with poorly concealed pleasure and her mouth curved into a surprised smile. Kenshin rested his elbows on the countertop and soaked in her hasty appearance. She opened her mouth in attempt to respond to his simple statement, but was interrupted by her interfering cousin.

"Yeah, just wear sandals, Kaoru," Yahiko said in between gulps of water. He finished the glass and wiped the back of his hand against his mouth. Kaoru blinked, snapping out of her distracted haze. She turned her head to her cousin and reached a hand up to brush her tangled ebony hair over her shoulder. Kaoru dropped the sock on the counter on top of Yahiko's newspaper and started to stalk off.

"Oh, Kaoru," Yahiko yelled after her. She turned and raised a shoulder in question, biting her lip nervously. "Your buttons are all messed up."

She glanced down at her shirt and froze, her body flushing with unexpected heat. Kaoru's ears burned with bright color as she lifted her fingers to the buttons slowly, astonishment apparent in her motions. Avoiding eye-contact with the two males, she turned and hurried out of the room with a frustrated moan.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the trio walked out of the house and into the blissful shine of the midday sun. No clouds blocked the stunning color of the deep cerulean sky allowing the sun's tickle of fingers across the shimmering lake. Away from the house they walked, stepping down the many stairs to Kenshin's small boat. Yahiko carried a blue backpack which he grumpily refused to confess the contents of. Kaoru, finally in an orderly state, followed the two, her hair pulled back with blue ribbon. The wind teased the ends of the ribbon causing them to flap against her cheek.

The subtle waves of the lake rocked the small boat gently as they clamored in one at a time. Yahiko freed the boat from the dock while Kenshin grabbed a hold of the two worn oars. Kaoru and Yahiko settled down on the low bench in the front of the boat. The breeze caressed Kenshin's red hair from behind, blowing the strands over his shoulder and around his neck. Kaoru reached up, brushing a stray strand of her dark hair behind her ear and rested her palm against the rough edge of the boat.

Geese bobbing languidly in the glistening water quietly jabbered and mumbled to each other; some skimming their dark bills against the water surface in search of veiled lake treasures. A few eager geese flapped their wings with delighted animation, slinging small droplets of water through the air, immersed in the graceful aura of midday. Kaoru watched them silently, amused by their lovable antics and amazed with their dazzling zeal for life.

Dipping the oars shallowly into the water, Kenshin brushed off from the island's dock with practiced ease, many years of boating practice snug beneath his belt. His fluid motions propelled the boat steadily, his breath whooshing evenly from his mouth with every motion interval. Kaoru studied the familiar movements, smiling a little while recalling the many times the two of them had traveled this very course in their younger years. She crossed her sandaled feet in front of her seated body and laid one hand between herself and Yahiko on the small bench. Kaoru's eyes traveled down Kenshin's arms, reveling at how the seemingly small, scrawny man held so much hidden energy within his powerful limbs. Her gaze shifted to the bottom of the weathered boat. Shaking her head, a long sigh escaped from her lips.

"Penny for your thoughts," Kenshin asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

At his quiet comment, a teasing mood wrapped her thoughts. Kaoru lifted her head and tilted it to the side coyly. "Only a penny?" she asked with an impish pout. "And here I was expecting a quarter."

Yahiko rolled his eyes at his cousin's lame response, turned away from them and looked out over the water watching the solemn, steady trees fade slowly by as they progressed through ripples.

Kenshin chuckled and smiled leisurely. His violet eyes deepened with mirth. "Alright," he conceded with a drawn out sigh. "A quarter it is."

Clasping her hands together in her lap, Kaoru leaned forward conspiratorially. Looking deep into Kenshin's delving gaze, she responded while trying extremely hard to keep a innocently straight face, "Remember that time you hit some floating debris and flipped the boat over? We were wet and smelly, I might add, the entire school day."

An embarrassed flush tinged Kenshin's cheeks, as she knew it would, while a sheepish smile materialized on his lips. "Uh, yeah," he responded, pulling the oars completely out of the water, halting the boat. "Didn't it happen about right here?" he asked. Cocking his head to the side, a mysterious glint flashed in his deep violet eyes causing Kaoru's stomach to jitter nervously with flittering fairies.

She didn't like that look.

In a soft innocent tone, he asked, "I could do it again if you wanted?"

Widening her eyes, Kaoru swiftly shot out her hand to grasp the side of the boat as Kenshin slowly rocked his body back and forth causing the boat to wobble with the slow waves in the water. Yahiko blinked at the motion, coming out his distracted stupor. He gradually took in the somewhat wicked grin on the older man's face and the increasingly horrified look parading wildly in Kaoru's eyes.

"No!" Kaoru exclaimed loudly, inching herself to the edge of the bench she sat on.

"Are you sure?" Kenshin asked, bobbing the boat a tad more vigorously than before. Yahiko clutched the edge of the boat, thanking the heavens he wasn't prone to getting motion sickness. Darting his eyes between the two, he watched as a hint of desperation sank into Kaoru's blinking sapphire orbs.

Yahiko's mouth dropped open in startled surprise as he watched Kaoru bolt up from her seat and tackle the laughing redhead opposite her. Kenshin fell backwards, breath whooshing from his lungs in merriment, clutching the gasping girl in his arms. They landed in a jumbled lump, snared by the bench and trapped by the dangling oars. The boat stopped its energetic rocking and settled down to a mundane roll with the lake ripples. Kaoru's incoherent mutterings of annoyance danced in the air as she struggled to untangle their twisted limbs. She managed to free her foot from beneath the small wooden bench it was lodged under, pushing a hand against Kenshin's chest to right herself. She only succeeded in conking the side of her head against the rim of the boat. Groaning, she slumped against Kenshin's prone form and gritted her teeth together.

Kenshin brushed one hand against the top of her head, gently combing the hair from her eyes. He used his elbow to push them both up in one fluid motion grossly unlike Kaoru's bumbling clumsiness. Sending him a rueful look, she pursed her lips together and slumped against the side of the boat. He grabbed her ankle and pulled it out from under his leg with a soft chuckle of ill-concealed jollity. Kaoru shuffled a little and bit her lip.

Patiently, Kenshin reached out and assisted her up, helping her gain her balance on her wobbly legs. Placing a hand on the small of her back, he guided her back to the bench where she slumped down with a relieved sigh.

"Are you guys completely insane?" Yahiko asked in a bewildered tone.

Distractedly, Kaoru responded, "We're getting there, brat."

Kenshin hummed in agreement. He settling down as well, wonderfully rumpled, his red hair mussed. Kaoru sucked in an unsteady breath, her blush disguised by the red glow that was already flushing her features. She swallowed, fiddling with the sleeve of her blouse.

Kenshin grabbed the oars once more and dipped them in the water, heading again to the small cove the school was nestled comfortably in. Sneaking a couple glances at the fidgeting Kaoru, Kenshin watched her cross and un-cross her feet and twiddle with the wood on the side of the boat. Yahiko drooped a little, leaning to the side to rest his elbow on top of his backpack. He stared out across the water, drowning himself once more in his thoughts.

Kaoru slipped a finger underneath the heel strap of her sandals, then blinked. Did water just splash her? Blinking some more, she lifted her gaze to see Kenshin simply rowing the boat at a steady pace.

No.

No, it couldn't have been.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she creased her eyebrows together in thought. Then blinked again. Now, she really felt it. Someone was splashing her. Turning back to Kenshin, she noticed the subtle upward tilt of his bottom lip, the deceptively innocent look he schooled on his face. Determined to catch him in the act, she pretended to turn her gaze away again, but kept his form in the corner of her eye. He shifted slightly and with a hideously fast move, sprayed a fist full of water at her.

Letting out an exclamation of amazed surprise, Kaoru slipped her hands in the water and playfully flung some of the cool liquid at him in return. He raised his shoulder in vain, poorly shielding his body from her counterattack. Water dripped from his forehead and slid down the bridge of his nose. Giggling as a wicked demon grabbed a hold of her, Kaoru initiated a water fight that left the three occupants of small boat soaking wet and sputtering with laughter.

They were still dripping wet when they managed to arrive at the festival.

Late, of course.

* * *

Pulling up the sleeves of her shirt, Kaoru blew out a breath to shift the bangs off her sticky forehead. She stepped back from the Japanese Cultural Booth Kenshin had set up for the festival and plopped down warily into a nearby chair. Stretching her legs out in front of her and rolling her neck to the side to crack out the uncomfortable kinks, she let out a tired moan of repose.

"Tired?" Kenshin asked, kneeling down beside her, resting his forearm on the armrest of her chair.

Kaoru nodded. "More taxing than I figured." She sat up a little and nudged him playfully in the shoulder. "You had more visitors than expected, huh? Guess more people are interested in Japan than you originally thought."

He gave her a lazy smile. "Mmm," he relied softly. "You helped some, too. Your exhibition of your students' photos was a vast success as well," he said tugging on the ribbon in her hair, accidentally pulling it loose. Kaoru frowned faintly as the dark locks cascaded down, pooling around her shoulders. She reached up and ran a hand through her silky hair to untangle some snared strands.

"Yes, I was pleased, too, with the many reactions," she sighed as a happy glow settled in her. "All of them are doing extremely well with their composition and color contrasts."

Kenshin studied her face in the growing darkness of the multihued sunset. "Yes, they are," he replied.

"Did you see the girl Yahiko was helping out?" Kaoru asked, turning to Kenshin.

He shook his head negatively. "No, I don't think so."

A knowing smile curved her lips as she brushed the red bangs from his eyes in a familiar motion. "He's been helping some girl. A junior, I think. She has short brown hair. Pretty eyes. Tsubame, I think is her name." Kaoru chuckled. "Yahiko's ears turned bright red when I asked who she was. As usual, he gave me a cryptic reply and stalked off like a moody teenager."

When he didn't reply, Kaoru tugged on a stray slip of bangs misplaced from her previous touch of his hair. As if he hadn't heard her last words or felt the little tug, Kenshin stood up and grabbed her hand in his. Pulling her to her feet, she gave him a startled look, questioning his abrupt behavior. He reassured her silently and pulled her away from frantic festivities. They passed the sizzling booth emitting a wonderful aroma of freshly cooked food. Yahiko's voice was upraised in either annoyance or embarrassment. Kaoru couldn't tell. She couldn't help but smile as she caught a glimpse of him scowling, his cheeks pink, standing next to a giggling girl who covered her mouth with her hand as her merriment clouded the air between the two. Must be embarrassment, Kaoru derived with a pleased smile.

Once out of sight, she turned back to the red-haired man who pulled her further down the sidewalk farther away from the bustling crowd of merry students, parents and teachers. She wrapped her fingers more tightly around his, intertwining their fingers. When Kenshin veered off the sidewalk and lead her up a dirt path, she raised her eyebrows in uncertain hesitation.

"Where are we going?" she asked aloud, her feet crunching against the fallen dried leaves and sticks from the trees flanking the path.

"Almost there," he responded mysteriously.

And just when she opened her mouth to question him again, they came to an opening.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Kenshin motioned for her to sit on the already unfolded blanket covering the moist ground. Settling on the cool fabric of the black and pink striped blanket, Kaoru let the cool crisp air of the night fill her lungs. She crossed her legs Indian-style, resting her elbows against her thighs as Kenshin sat down beside her. He relaxed, stretching out cramped muscles, blissfully content as the darkness blanketed the two of them. A few small gray puffs of thin clouds drifted lazily through the night sky. The delicate twinkle of stars fascinated both as they watched the lazy hue of the heavens.

"So why are we up here?" Kaoru asked quietly, turning her head to gaze at Kenshin's upturned face. She brushed her loose hair behind her shoulder idly.

Turning to her, his violet eyes swirled with an unreadable emotion as a gentle smile lit his features. "Just watch," he whispered secretively, winking at her.

Huffing playfully in mock annoyance, she turned back to look over the alluring view made visible by their position on the top of a small hill surrounded only by Mother Nature herself. The whistle of the wind between the trees, the rustle of leaves fluttering to the ground, and the soft vibration of mystical wildlife concealed by the darkness caused Kaoru's mind to laze in a carefree state of revealed happiness.

Watching the emotions play on Kaoru's shadowed face, Kenshin's eyes traced the gentle slope of her eyebrows, the subtle jut of her adorable nose, the deep rosy color of her full lips, the perfect curvature of her chin, and the silky caress of her ebony hair against her cheek. Lost in thought, he ignored the sudden splash of sparkling color lighting up the night sky. His eyes softened with an emotion he couldn't quite place as he watched her lips slowly part in awe, her breath catch in her throat. Kaoru's eyes sparkled with joyous wonder as she watched the blinding bursts of rainbow madness color the sky.

"Aren't the fireworks, beautiful?" she uttered breathlessly, her sapphire eyes scanning the dark horizon.

His eyes were glued to her delighted visage. The fireworks unseen and ignored, he uttered softly, wonderfully hypnotized by her enchantment, his heart thumping wildly in his chest…

"Incredibly beautiful."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Ah, shoot. Is it the end of the chapter already? I'll try to have the next chapter out in about a week or two depending on my free time. With the start of a new semester, I'll be dealing with college once more. But, that's not so bad. I like to go sit at the duck pond in the middle of campus when I have more than an hour break between classes. Great place for inspiration. I wrote the first three chapters of the story there and a part of this chapter as well. Seagulls magically appear in the winter as well. I'm not sure why they would want to fly north into colder weather, but, hey, I'm not complaining. They're beautiful creatures.

Till next time…

-Mana


	8. Jubilant Clashes

**Author's Note**: Really, this chapter is rather pointless, but I like it. Long, humorous, and some filler. Er…let's hope you guys like it as well.

**Reader Responses**:

Holy cow…nearly three times the amount of reviews I have been getting for each chapter. Guess I did something right, huh? **Thank you**!

Aine of Knockaine: Thanks for reviewing again. Accountant, huh? I could never work with numbers for the rest of my life…I struggled enough the way it is through school. Thankfully, I've finished all my mathematical requirements and I don't plan on taking another math course. And don't worry, I always bring a little something with me for the ducks. (grin) I'm very glad you liked the chapter. Thanks again.

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Bradybunch4592: Aw…you're so nice. What a great review! I love reading what you like best about each chapter. Thanks so much for reviewing again. Hope you like this chapter as well.

Pego5678: At first I couldn't decide what I'd make Kaoru do for a living, but then I decided to go with something I knew about…so she became a photographer. I'm glad you like that decision. It's definitely a fun subject to write about. Thanks for reviewing and telling me your thoughts on the story. I'm happy you like it.

Brittanie Love: Hello again. Thanks for reviewing! (smile)

Ange Noir: If you ever do decide to take up photography, good luck! It's an awesome and rewarding hobby that I love dearly. You don't really have to be good at drawing, painting, ect. to catch onto photography. (smile) I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as well. Thanks again for leaving your much appreciated thoughts.

person: Favorite chapter? Yeah, I think it's one of mine, too. I loved writing the fireworks scene. Fun, fun, fun. The sock scene was that good, huh? I'm glad you liked it. (grin) And just telling me that you can't find any errors and that, so far, it's perfect helps me more than you think. Lets me know that I'm on the right track. (wipes sweat off brow) Whoo. And, yes, I definitely appreciate anything you have to say. Thanks for dropping in and telling me what you think again.

soap buddies: Well, I wouldn't say that Kenshin's actually hitting on Kaoru, yet. He's just acting the way they acted when they were teenagers. Currently, he's only just now started to think about her in a romantic way. He hasn't acted on that. Thanks for telling me what you think. Old boyfriend…I don't know. We'll have to see. (smile) I'm glad you like my story. Thanks again.

Moon&Stars: Don't worry about missing the story…I tend to find the best stories after they've been going for a while. (sighs) Thanks for telling me your thoughts. Here's the update. Hope you like it as well. (smile)

squishysquashy: I'm glad you like the interaction between Megumi and Sano. I had a great time writing that part. Thanks for leaving your thoughts. I'm very happy you're enjoying it up to this point.

chakitattyla2h8: It's good to see you again! Yep, Kenshin's starting to fall for his best friend. (grin) Anywho, I started to seriously write when I was a freshman in high school, though I can honestly say I sucked at that time. I've learned that the more you write and the more you want to improve your writing, the better you'll get. Practice makes perfect, right? And I understand about the hectic life of school and other activities…things really can pile on top of each other, huh? Review whenever you can. Thanks for reviewing now. I'm very happy you like it!

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inuwolf04: Thanks for reviewing! And thanks for reviewing Glorious Twilight! I'm very happy you like both.

Megumi Readman: I was excited about bringing Tsubame in, also. She's a great character. About my original story…I took that down the other day. I was re-reading it and was horrified by the amount of errors and typos in it. Plus I got all the formatting wrong. I've come up with some other ideas that may change the first part anyways. I'm sorry about removing it. Just had to be done. But, anywho, thanks for reviewing. Enjoy this chapter as well!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

_**Tendrils of Sunset**_

**Chapter 8**

_"Jubilant Clashes"_

Wiggling her toes against the edge of the hard wood dock, Kaoru worried her bottom lip in-between her teeth as she wrapped her arms around her middle. Clad in a brilliant purple one-piece bathing suit and a pair of red cotton shorts, she shivered as whispers of the wind slid off the lake water and brushed against her skin. Goosebumps rose on her exposed arms and her legs. Usually standing out above the water in this fashion, a mere few feet from the watery depth of the lake, calmed her. But, today, it was unfortunately working the reverse effect.

Blinking, Kaoru tried to concentrate, but her mind kept drifting to the night before. A hesitant tingle of giddiness shimmied up her spine as she thought of the dazzling firework display at the festival. Sitting on the blanket with Kenshin had been…almost like a dream. She had been only a few simple inches away from him physically, but as Kaoru pondered about the latent magical night, a small thought increasingly irked her.

The absentminded weenie hadn't even been paying attention.

The only responses she had managed to pull out of Kenshin about the vibrant display of gorgeous colors were cryptic two word responses or grunts. Scrunching her nose up in an annoyed grimace, Kaoru let out a soft huff indignantly. You'd think the clod could have least showed some emotion. When she had turned to look at him, his face had been schooled in a blank expression, his violet eyes blindly and impassively watching the bursting sky.

Kaoru tapped the sole of her bare foot against the deck in agitation as she clenched her teeth together. He could have at least cracked a smile. A fake one would have worked. But, no. As soon as the fireworks started, Kenshin had mysteriously drawn into a solitary shell of thoughts and musings, effectively shutting her out. Kaoru's eyes narrowed as they flashed with exasperated frustration. Was he made of stone or something?

Swallowing, Kaoru sighed and slouched somewhat as the afternoon sun hotly beat down on her sweating frame. Grumbling to herself, she started to pull her heavy hair back into a cooling ponytail to help ease the progressing heat pooling around her neck and head.

"Cheetos!" the voice of her young cousin piped beside her in an excited tone, as if amazed by some brilliant revelation of his.

It took a few seconds for Kaoru's mind to wrap around the one word. "Cheetos?" Kaoru questioned stupidity, gradually picking her way out of the thoughts of her maddening best friend.

"Yeah, cheetos. You know…the cheesy orange puffs?" Yahiko explained in a somewhat sarcastic voice.

Kaoru turned her head to the side and raised her shoulders in inquiry, completely lost as to why cheetos were suddenly the topic of conversation. Her gaze came to rest on Yahiko who stood adjacent to her form, electric yellow swim trunks hanging on his skinny body, his arms crossed over his chest. He tilted his head to the side and slowly shook his head as he watched Kaoru stare blankly at him.

"I know what they are," she responded in an oddly high pitched voice. "Why do we need cheetos?"

Yahiko's lips parted in surprise as an amazed look flitted over his features. He hopped from one bare foot to the other, amusement clouding his eyes. "You've completely forgot what we were talking about a minute ago, haven't you?"

Kaoru raised her eyebrow in response, silently agreeing with the little twerp.

Yahiko sighed loudly. "Cheetos will be the prize," he continued in an abnormally bubbly voice. "Whoever jumps the farthest off the dock and into the water wins the cheetos."

Memory burst like seed of comprehension in Kaoru's mind as she snapped her fingers in sudden remembrance. A grin split her lips and her eyes widened playfully. "I love cheetos," she responded with delight.

Yahiko chuckled evilly, his mouth curving into a wicked smirk. "I know."

Primly, Kaoru straightened her back and turned back to the water. Her arms fell to her sides and she sucked in a deep breath, confidence racing through her pumping bloodstream. For the first time in weeks, the need to compete rampaged her thoughts, causing excited adrenaline to flood her system.

"Ooh, you are so going down, little boy," Kaoru whispered haughtily. She felt an aura of irritation cloud Yahiko's body. A growl grumbled in his throat as his playful look morphed into one of deliberation and determination.

No one called him little.

No one.

Kaoru and Yahiko turned to stare each other in the eyes, daring their opposition to falter and withdraw. But, Kaoru wanted the cheetos too much, and Yahiko wanted to whoop the smug butt of his infuriating guardian. The stand-still of intimidation ticked on…

Maybe it was because they were so caught up in each other's every move, expression, and thought, that they didn't hear the gradually escalading yell coming closer and closer. Sounding almost like a deranged Tarzan, Sano sprinted down the wooden dock toward the two people who stood at the end, engrossed in one another's every movement. A few small bursts of diabolical laughter joined his inhuman yell as his long legs carried him swiftly and surely. His hair was plastered to his head from a previous dunking in the water and his bare chest boasted small pink scratches from an earlier tussle with his easily provoked housemates.

Yahiko noticed the crazy police officer out of the corner of his eye and abruptly grabbed Kaoru's arm in alarm, shaking her to attention. She blinked at him in perplexity as she watched pure horror mar his usually smug features.

"Wha -" she began, following her cousin's gaze to see the huge barreling body a mere scant seconds before it collided with the two of them. A hysterical scream bubbled in her throat as her eyes widened in disbelief.

And, then suddenly...

They collided.

One second Kaoru stood rooted firmly on the dock, her thoughts filled with playful musings of harmless competition, then she was airborne. Trying not to appear as if she were a squawking, flapping chicken, Kaoru clamped her mouth shut and vainly attempted to keep her arms from randomly flailing about in ridiculous motions. Her stomach in her throat, Kaoru descended rapidly and landed sideways into the water. It lapped over her head in a disrupted wave, dunking her mercilessly into its cool embrace. Water filled her nose causing her to involuntarily choke and her eyes burned as she hazily watched the water bubbles dance around her still, sinking body.

With thoughts of murder on her mind, Kaoru propelled herself up to the water surface. When she burst from the waves, she was gasping, coughing, and sneezing all at once. Her side cramped reflexively making her slide slightly down again, air rushing from her mouth causing an onslaught of transparent bubbles. She kicked some more and managed to steady her treading to keep her soaking head above the water.

Beside her, Yahiko was coughing, his arms thrashing about causing agitated ripples. In front of her, the bane of her existence guffawed with breathless hilarity, his head thrown back in mirthful distraction. Kaoru's eyes narrowed with vicious precision as she doggy paddled her way over to the lout. Yahiko followed her.

Kenshin hurried down the dock, concern crowding him as he replayed Kaoru's startled scream over in his mind. It was probably rough horseplay, he reasoned vainly as his boots clunked on the wood. Coming to the end of Kaoru's dock, he caught a glimpse of the three bodies wrestling loudly and angrily in the water.

"Uh," Kenshin started uncertainly, relief seeping through his muscles as they relaxed from his previous tension, "Is everyone alright?"

In the water, Kaoru turned to Kenshin, her hands resting on Sano's shoulders as she dunked him wickedly underneath the surface. Yahiko held a random leg in his arms, an evil laugh coming from his lips. Kenshin was sure he heard some shouted profanities in the confusing fray as well.

"Get in here and help us, Kenshin," Kaoru replied loudly, her eyes glinting with mischievous malice as she let Sano surface, sputtering with indignation and spewing mouthfuls of lake water.

Kenshin negatively shook his head, an amazed chuckled escaping from his lips. "Nah, I think you've got it covered."

* * *

Later that night, the foursome sat around the polished table in the dining room eating dinner. Sano sulked in his chair, pouting from being chastised for his earlier wild behavior and disgruntled with the surprisingly strong comeback of the small woman and young boy. It wasn't everyday that the great Sanosuke Sagara gets dunked some ten-odd times by a couple of tiny bullies. He shoved the broccoli on his plate over the rim of the blue porcelain and muttered to himself softly. He mercilessly speared a bright orange carrot and plopped it into his mouth to chew with a calculated vengeance. 

Yahiko gulped down a swallow of his soda and shoved a forkful of chicken breast into his mouth, his eyes lightening with heavenly pleasure. The only untouched food on his plate was the peas. And no matter how good those were cooked, he absolutely refused to swallow the little pebbles of green mushy goo. Yahiko shuddered slightly at the incomprehensible and sordid thought.

Kaoru sat beside him, an expression of beleaguered acceptance on her face. No matter how many times she tried to cook, something always managed to go wrong and bite her unceremoniously on the butt. Like, tonight, for instance. She'd been making spaghetti. She turned her back for one second…_one second_…and she found a writhing mass of pasta tentacles frothing from the boiling water on the stove. They had wriggled madly and burned into a disgustingly squishy mass from the excess heat. The spaghetti sauce resembled the mouth of a tempered volcano, oozing red sauce and bubbling with vigorous animation. Kaoru sighed again, disappointment clear in her sapphire eyes.

Kenshin watched her with silent amusement. He'd come running into the kitchen earlier when he had heard her hysterical shouts of distress, worried she'd accidentally blown something up. It was almost comical the way she was currently mourning the death of her meal. Relieving her of the pressure, Kenshin had cooked instead, much to the unconcealed delight of Yahiko.

Kaoru shifted in her chair and raised her eyes to look at Kenshin. "I'm going to start introducing my students to the developing chemicals in the darkroom next week and I was wondering if you wanted to come and help me set it up. Make sure everything is there and all the equipment is working."

Kenshin rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward. He nodded his head as a slow smile crept over his lips. "I haven't been in a darkroom for a long time," he responded, peering at Kaoru, "That'd be great. When do you want to start?"

Kaoru grinned at him as an unexpected bubble of flittering nervousness settled in the bottom of her stomach. She set her fork down with a little clink on her plate. "How about after school? It shouldn't take too long. Maybe an hour or so."

Yahiko watched the exchange silently, interest flickering in his eyes. He scratched the side of his head and lowered his eyes to his plate. Without looking at either of them, he asked quietly, "Uh, Kaoru? Can I come, too? I, uh, want to see how you do it. I mean, that is, set up the equipment. And stuff…" he trailed off.

"Of course you can," she replied with a surprised smile lighting her eyes.

Yahiko rushed on, "I'll be about a half hour late, because I have to help Tsubame with something."

"That's fine," Kaoru replied with an understanding nod. "We'll wait for you."

She stood up from the table and grabbed her plate in her hand. She grabbed Yahiko's empty plate as well and headed to the kitchen to put the dirty dishes into the sink for cleaning.

Over her shoulder, she said, "I'll be right out with my desert. My dinner may have been ruined, but we at least have my chocolate cake with raspberry icing."

At her words, Sano choked on a pea, wheezing and coughing while his face turned an unhealthy red. Yahiko closed his eyes, distraught, and leaned his head against the table, hitting his forehead on the lip with an agonized groan.

"Why? Why?" he whimpered to himself.

Sighing, Kenshin leaned back in his chair and frowned. There would be no getting out of this, he reasoned with himself. Either he torture himself with her mysterious concoction or be bludgeoned to death by her deathly rage. Smiling to himself as he watched her walk in with the monstrous, crumbly mound of magenta icing, Kenshin decided it was better to have a few minutes of excruciating torture than to be on the wrong side of the hellion's wrath.

* * *

"Are there any questions about your new assignment?" Kaoru asked her class, clasping her hands behind her back and scanning the many faces of her students. A few shook their heads negatively while the others just sat in their seats, staring at her in silence. 

Outside the classroom door, the bell rang with piercing clarity, loudly signaling the end of the class period and the end of the long, drawn-out school day. Chairs scraped against the floor, books were grabbed hastily, and excited jabbering burst into the air. On their way out, students waved to Kaoru and uttered small goodbyes. They then disappeared into the parade of numerous teenagers trudging through the seemingly endless hall.

Kaoru wearily leaned back against the desk and relaxed as her muscles tinged gallingly with exhaustion. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her upper arm with her fingertips. Her eyes slid over the mindlessly pen-marked tops of the desks, small frays of paper littering the floor, and forgotten items abandoned under miscellaneous chairs. Kaoru leaned down to pick up a dark green pen when one of her younger students from the class earlier in the day stepped through the open doorway hesitantly, clutching a blue spiral notebook to her chest.

"Um, Miss Kamiya?" she asked quietly. "I was wondering if you could help me? I, um, don't quite understand our assignment for the week."

Kaoru straightened and put the pen on the desk. She waved the girl further into the room with her left hand and smiled kindly.

"Sure, Deirdre," Kaoru replied. "What are you having trouble with?"

Deirdre put her spiral notebook down on Kaoru's desk and opened it to pull her syllabus out of the confining pocket of the attached folder. Scanning the many entries, she pointed to the right assignment.

"What does it mean by taking photos of lines?" she asked quizzically, blinking up at her teacher.

As Kaoru started to respond, Kenshin slipped silently into the room and leaned back against the wall, trying not to interrupt the small conversation. Kaoru smiled at him, then turned her attention back to her student.

"I want you to photograph lines. Just lines. For example, lines in nature, your house, your backyard, on the street…anything really," she said.

Kaoru moved away from the girl who still looked slightly confused and grabbed her leather briefcase from underneath her desk. She ruffled around in it for a few seconds and pulled out a black and white photo of a tree. It had been taken at night, causing a reversal of the normal color scheme. The sky was pitch black like a swallowing abyss of darkness, while the tree stood out in a shockingly bright white. The jagged, eerie braches stretched and dipped fluidly, running the length of the photo.

"See the lines on this," Kaoru explained, lightly tracing her finger down the length of one the white branches. "Just try to compose a photo with some sort of lines. Another idea besides a tree could be the legs of the desks," she said pointing to the one behind Deirdre. "Or you could even take one of a simple telephone pole. Just use your imagination. From what I've seen of your previous photos, you have a knack for finding unusual subjects for your photos."

Deirdre beamed slightly at the subtle compliment and nodded as her brown eyes sparked with a sudden interest. She slowly replaced her paper syllabus into her notebook and closed it softly. Picking it up, she replied, "I think I have an idea." A small smile curved her lips and she nodded her in a more excited manner. "Yes," she said, "I have a great idea."

"Great," Kaoru grinned and singly clapped her hands happily, twining her fingers together, and then lowering them to waist level.

Deirdre turned around and waved over behind her to Kaoru. "Thanks, Miss Kamiya. See you at our next class," she said. As she passed out of the classroom, she waved to Kenshin as well, then disappeared into the hall to meet up with her friends.

Kenshin pushed off the wall and walked slowly over to Kaoru as she started to file her papers into her briefcase. He picked up the photo of the striking tree, glanced at it with interest, then handed it back to her when she held her hand out for it.

"Easy day?" Kaoru asked, zipping the top of her briefcase with a hushed whir.

Kenshin hummed and tilted his head to the side. "For the most part," he replied. "Couple of disruptive students during the test I gave today. Unfortunately some bad grades as well." He sighed and shrugged helplessly. "I really wish some of them would study more."

Kaoru smiled at that and shook her head. "I know."

Stepping to the side, she put the briefcase back on the floor underneath the desk and reached out to grab Kenshin's wrist. Tugging him, she pulled him to the small room attached to the larger classroom.

"I couldn't help myself earlier. I skipped lunch and started to install some of the hooks to hang some stuff," she said excitedly, her eyes sparkling with glowing enthusiasm.

"I was wondering where you disappeared to. I ended up sitting with some of my students while they talked about the fascinating subject of some hot new band taking the musical world by storm," he replied wryly, following her and stepping aside as she opened the heavy cream door to her class darkroom.

Kaoru smirked at his apparent misfortune. "Poor thing," she said merrily. "I promise not to do it again without informing you."

"Good."

Kaoru slipped off her navy pumps and laid them outside the room. Padding inside, she spread her arms out and grinned with excitement. "Look how big it is! I can fit at least ten students in here at a time. This way we won't have back-ups and I'll be able to do two or three shifts. Everyone is going to have more darkroom time than I first thought."

Kenshin followed her inside, looking around curiously. "Definitely larger than the one you had when we were younger. You were pressed to fit the two of us inside."

She sighed and leaned against one of the countertops. "I know."

Behind Kenshin, Yahiko popped his head inside the doorway. He jammed his hands into his pockets and let out a low whistle of awe.

"Wow. Nice darkroom," he interjected.

"Yep," Kaoru replied and threw bag full of small hooks at him. He caught it instinctively and looked at it with puzzlement. "Help me with those. I need to put some more up over there," she said pointing to the wall beside him. "And, if you do a good job, I promise to have some fooddelivered here before we head on home."

A gleeful smile creased Yahiko's face. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Now get to work."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied smartly.

* * *

Hours later after returning home from school and setting up Kaoru's darkroom, Yahiko peered through the clear glass of the second story window in the house and frowned. Squinting his eyes and leaning closer to the glass, he tried to get a better look at what was going on across the lake. His humid breath caused the glass to fog. Yahiko leaned back with an annoyed roll of his eyes and wiped the vapor off with the sleeve of his long-sleeve t-shirt. Once the view was clear again, he blinked with befuddlement. 

"Hey, Kaoru?" he yelled over his shoulder while keeping his eyes peeled on the neighboring dock across the water, "Come here for a second."

Yahiko heard a pot crash on the floor below, some random muttering, then heavy stomps on the stairs. Moments later, Kaoru appeared behind him, her hands resting on her hips and her mouth curled in a questioning scowl.

"Mmm?" she asked, somewhat annoyed.

Yahiko kept his eyes trained out the window and motioned over his shoulder for his cousin to step closer. Reluctantly, she did and nudged him in the side with her elbow. In response to her irksome prodding, Yahiko lifted his hand and pointed a finger, touching the tip to the glass and leaving a small smear.

"What…is…he…doing?" Yahiko questioned slowly, turning his head to the side slightly to peer at his guardian.

Blinking in confusion, Kaoru huddled next to the boy and followed the path in which his finger pointed. Absentmindedly, she placed a hand on the back of her neck and rubbed it slightly to ease the day's tension.

"I don't…," she started hesitantly. Scanning, she finally caught on to what Yahiko was currently preoccupied with. "Oh, wait. You mean Kenshin?" Kaoru asked as her toned cleared with understanding.

Yahiko nodded and placed his hand on the dusty window seal and leaned in a little more. "Yeah. What the heck is he doing?"

"Practicing," she replied cryptically and turned away from the window in the dimly lit hall and headed back to the stairs. Her hand lightly touched the polished banister as she skipped nonchalantly down the stairs, her ponytail bobbing with her uneven movements.

Throwing one last look out the window, Yahiko whipped around and hurried down the hall and stairs to follow her. He walked into the kitchen to find her picking up the pot she had dropped when he shouted for her. Placing it back in the designated cabinet, Kaoru went about putting all the other misplaced kitchen utensils back in their correct abodes.

Yahiko leaned his elbows on top of the tile counter of the square island and propped his foot on one of the low bars of a stool's leg. Tapping his fingers in an anxious manner, he asked, "What do you mean by practicing? Practicing what?"

Kaoru stood on the tips of her toes to grab a green and white striped rag on a high shelf and shuffled backwards along the counter to grab a spray bottle of yellow cleaner. She squirted some from the bottle and wiped the rag through it, cleaning the cooking grime from the surface. Lifting her eyes to look at Yahiko, she smiled a little, then looked back down as she sprayed some more cleaner onto a different area.

"A sword technique he learned from his uncle," Kaoru replied. She sighed and pushed the rabbit cookie jar over to clean the counter underneath it. "When he gets restless or needs to think, he practices. Just like now."

Surprised by Kaoru's answer, Yahiko went to one of the large bay windows beside the kitchen table and looked once more at the fluidly moving figure on the opposite dock.

The setting of the sun cast a tangerine glow on the lake and shadowed the movements of the lone man. The item Yahiko previously thought was a large stick, now corrected to be a sword, shimmered in the light, glimmering torpidly. Kenshin's artistic footwork and fluid arm motions were hypnotizing because of their brilliantly austere calculation and complexity. As usual, his long hair was tied back in its familiar ponytail at the nape of his neck, but his bare upper torso glistened with sweat. The dark blue pants followed his every movement as his feet danced deadly and expertly on the uneven and worn boards of his dock.

"He's actually extremely good," Kaoru said, catching her cousin's attention. "Also, my father is skilled in kendo, and he taught the two of us how to do it." Kaoru moved over to Yahiko and started to clean the kitchen table he stood beside. "I used to spar with Kenshin quite often. But, after a while I could tell that he was holding back."

Leaning his hip against the table, Yahiko lifted an eyebrow and smirked haughtily at her. "I bet I could beat you," he declared in an overly smug voice.

Clucking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Kaoru let an amused smile cross her face as she set down her rag and spray bottle to turn to the overconfident young male. She wiped the back of her hand against her forehead and moved to the sink. Dipping her hands in the hot spray of water and rubbing foamy soap through her fingers, she chuckled with amazed joviality.

"Is that so," Kaoru replied as her eyes gleamed with hooded mischief. "Would you like to prove this, little man?"

Eyes widening in sudden anger, hands clenching in sudden determination, voice hardening with a sudden resolve…Yahiko agreed. He watched as Kaoru toweled off her hands and motioned her head to the side for him to follow her. With cool steps, Yahiko followed her as he mentally reigned in the sudden urge to tackle his guardian.

She had called him little.

Again.

These days, no-one called him little without some sort of repercussion. Kaoru was soon going to be finding hers.

Yahiko followed her down to the somewhat barren basement only occupied by a few random boxes stacked haphazardly in front of one of the walls. Kaoru flipped the light switch and flooded the room with artificial light. The short brown carpet muffled their footsteps as they walked to the center. Kaoru scratched the side of her neck as she glanced around the room for the much needed wooden swords they would use. She reached down and slipped off her shoes and pulled off her dark green socks. Yahiko watched as she slung them across the room toward the wall.

"Now, where did I -" she started softly. "I swear they were - UMPH - " she exclaimed as Yahiko tackled her like a mad monkey in search of a treasured banana.

She screeched with surprise laughter as they tumbled to the floor in a helpless heap. Grappling with her cousin, she let out a breathless, muffled yell about the unfairness of it all. Struggling against each other's strength, they rolled on the floor like idiots, laughing and carousing with loud expletives.

Kaoru managed to cry out, "Not fair!"

Yahiko bit out, "Get over it."

Yahiko's elbow jabbed into Kaoru's stomach causing her to gasp in surprise as her breath whooshed from her lungs. She tried to do the same, but ended up hitting nothing but thin air. In a last retaliation of desperation, she raised her leg and kneed him in the chest solidly, making him jerk back. With the small opening, Kaoru managed to push off the floor, pinch the tender flesh his forearm, and sit on his stomach.

"Ouch! Kaoru get off!" he yelled, pushing at her back and struggling against her.

Pushing her mangled hair from her face and puffing her chest out with mocking pride, Kaoru shook her head in elated merriment. She reached down and patted Yahiko's cheek condescendingly.

"I told you I would win," Kaoru responded as she flashed a triumphant smile at the sulking teenager who resigned his struggling and glared at her. His eyes shot staggering insults at her while he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine," he replied tersely. "Now will you get off, you elephant? You're killing me."

Kaoru's eyes widened in swift outrage at the unexpected slur. She flicked him on the head with her pointer and middle finger and spit her tongue out in childish insult. Yahiko struggled to breathe as he hit her mildly on the back, urging her to get off of him.

With a little huff of delight, Kaoru stood and visibly preened with pride. She brushed the wrinkles from her pink cotton shirt and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Kaoru had only taken a couple steps away from him when Yahiko wrapped his arms steely around her shins and tipped her balance to make her topple over like a chopped down tree.

And the wrestling began anew.

Ah, the sweet bonding of loving cousins.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Jeepers, this chapter ended up being longer than I originally planned. But, hey…the longer the better, huh? Anywho, I'll try to have the next chapter out as soon as I can. I've got some good ideas for the next happenings, so I'm looking forward to writing it. We'll see how I budget my rapidly dwindling free time. 

Ah, well, anyways…REVIEW! I love reading what you guys think about the new chapters.

- Mana


	9. Whispered Romance

**Author's Note**: This chapter was a pain in the butt to write. I wrote about a half of it, went back to proof-read it and found so many errors it isn't funny. I almost deleted it and walked away. But, I didn't. I went through and corrected it all…well, hopefully I did.

I apologize if I'm a little behind. I got started later on this chapter than I planned, and I didn't have the needed motivation to finish it till this afternoon. But, I think it turned out rather well.

**Reviewer Responses**:

Wolfie-chan18: Thanks for reviewing again. I'm glad you found the chapter funny. (smile) I'm sorry I haven't gotten a chance to review your updated chapters and your new story…I've been so busy lately, it's not funny. Hopefully I'll get around to it soon. Thanks again. Hope you like this chapter as well!

CrypticMaidenRK: I'm very happy you liked it. Hope you like this chapter as well. Thanks so much for reviewing.

JBella: Thanks for telling me your kind thoughts. I'm happy you like the way the story is going so far. Glad you reviewed!

Sapphire Priestess: I realized in my last reviewer responses, I accidentally called you Sapphire Princess. Ugh, I'm so sorry. It was 2:30 in the morning and I obviously wasn't paying close attention. But, I'm so happy to see you've enjoyed my story so far. Thanks so much for telling me your thoughts. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Lena17: I'm glad you like the direction in which the story is going. I'm trying my best the make it a nice piece of writing. Thanks so much for reviewing.

Brittanie Love: Glad you reviewed again. It's always great to see repeat reviewers!

Bradybunch4529: I love reading what you like best about each chapter. It's so interesting to see what really pops out at the reader. Thanks so much for reviewing again. I always look forward to your reviews.

Ryoko The Goddess of War and Vamiper (Jessica Trail): I'm happy you like my story so far. Thanks so much for reviewing!

Ange Noir: This chapter is pretty long as well, so I hope you like that. (grin) Nah, I think everyone survived Kaoru's desert…well, at least we hope so, right? Lol. Hope you do (did) well on your mid-terms. Thanks for reviewing again.

inuwolf04: Thanks for reviewing again. (smile) I hope you like this chapter as well!

Megumi Readman: Sano is an unusually strange man. (grin) Silly, silly, silly. Well, I'm glad I at least got you to smile. My sisters refuse to laugh when they read something funny as well. Thanks for reviewing again!

Hanako110: Well, here's some more. (grin) I like reading stories all at once as well…keeps the flow going. I'm glad you find my writing good. And don't worry about rambling. I tend to do it as well. Lol. I'm so happy you're enjoying my story this much. Thanks so much for reviewing.

Pego: I find it really fun to play around with Kaoru and Yahiko. They have such a dynamic relationship, it's hard to avoid their interaction. I'm glad you like what I'm doing with them. Thanks so much for reviewing. Your thoughts are muchly appreciated.

animegurl23: I'm not sure if I'll make them spar with a bokken or if I'll actually make Kenshin and Kaoru spar, although to tell the truth, it's what I had originally intended for the last chapter, but it came out a little differently. I still might do that though if I find the appropriate place to put it. Thanks so much for reviewing!

person: The 'deranged Tarzan' was my sister's favorite line as well. It was a random thought I figured would go well with the context of the story. My Mom has thing for the old black and white Tarzan movies, and I got this mental image of Johnny Weismiller (sp?) (Tarzan actor) swinging through the trees when I wrote it. Lol. My sisters just smile when they read something funny. No laugh at all, so it's hard to judge whether my writing is humorous. I'm the opposite of them. I burst out laughing when I find something funny, drawing odd looks from people in the room. (sigh) It's good to know I have a loyal reviewer. (grin) And don't worry about me erasing your reviews. Thanks for reviewing again. So happy you're enjoying it!

kagomeafan: Her cooking really is horrendous, isn't it? (grin) Thanks for reviewing. Glad you're enjoying it!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

_**Tendrils of Sunset**_

**Chapter 9**

_"Whispered Romance"_

"I think you've misunderstood me," Kaoru said as her eyes narrowed to small slits, spearing Misao with a hard gaze, ruthlessly causing her to squirm anxiously.

Misao tried to manage an upbeat smile to wipe the increasingly livid haze that clouded Kaoru's face, but failed miserably. Wiping her sweaty palms against the dark navy fabric of her knee-length suit skirt, she swallowed reflexively and tapped the tip of her blue dress shoe against the floor. Misao cleared her throat nervously and blinked rapidly, turning her eyes to floor, unable to take the full force of Kaoru's glare.

"No, no," Misao muttered underneath her breath. Hesitantly she looked back at the glowering Kaoru with a sheepish smile, shrugging her shoulders minutely. "I, uh, completely understood what you said when you accepted the job."

Kaoru's eyebrows drew together in annoyed bemusement as she crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her rigid stance slightly.

In an agitated manner, Kaoru replied, "And, so what? Why am I all of a sudden signed up to work next semester?" Kaoru's head went up a notch and her nostrils flared with impatience. "I remember stating very clearly that I could only work this semester. This semester!" she repeated, tapping her fingers against her side jerkily.

Clenching her fists and shaking her head, Misao bit her bottom lip and drew her eyebrows together in a line of perturbed vexation. Her eyes shifted to the area right over Kaoru's shoulder as if looking for someone, and then turned back to the fidgeting woman in front of her.

"You've become somewhat of an anomaly, Kaoru," Misao started with a weary sigh. "Everyone expected you to be a run of the mill photographer who knew next to nothing about teaching a group of rowdy teenagers. I had to beg to get our superiors to even give you a chance." Misao stopped for a small second and her usually laughing gaze altered to unveil a pleading look of dark desperation. "They've been hounding me for weeks to get you to agree to a second semester."

With a wry upraise of her eyebrow, Kaoru frowned. "And you told them I agreed?"

Misao twiddled with the sleeve of her navy coat and she nodded hesitantly. "Please say yes. I can…still say you rejected. I told them it was a tentative yes. Not concrete."

The two women stared at each for a long, silent minute. Misao's hope dwindled with the ticking of each second. Kaoru rolled her eyes upward and shook her head with finality, a look of calm acceptance sweeping over her features.

"I've said this before, and I'll probably say this again, but you owe me, Misao," Kaoru said with a heavy sigh.

An ecstatic grin split the doomed expression on Misao's face. The formerly gloomy young woman sprang to immediate life, clapping her hands together in happy relief.

Before Kaoru could utter anything else, Misao grabbed her forearm and literally dragged her into the small closet-sized office. Pushing Kaoru forcefully into a small mauve chair filled with miscellaneous papers, Misao stepped over the countless objects littering the blue carpet, hurriedly making her way over to her desk. Her forehead crinkling with frown lines, she started to shuffle through the mountain papers that had accumulated on it from messy filing techniques. Mumbling to herself when she came up empty handed, Misao frowned, huffing with puzzlement as she looked over at the looming black file-cabinet in the corner, then back to the desk, and finally to her chair which rested behind the small, cluttered desk against the brown wall in an unfortunate state of dejection.

A knowing smile slowly crept over Misao's colored lips as she licked the fingertip of her pointer finger for traction, flipped through some yellow papers on the seat of the chair, then let out a jubilant exclamation of pride when she pulled out a thin green slip of paper with messy writing on it. Strutting over to Kaoru, she handed the paper to her and crossed her arms over her chest with smug smile.

"That's the tentative schedule for your semester after the Christmas holidays. The classes are at the same time, just on different days to accommodate for the students who wanted to join your class, but also wished to continue their involvement with the school's award winning choir."

Squinting to try and decipher the scrawled writing, Kaoru gave Misao a passive smile and stood up from her chair slowly.

"This is written in English, right?" Kaoru asked, turning the paper sideways for some enlightenment.

Waving her hand dismissively, Misao let out a tinkle of laughter and returned to her desk with a happy jaunt in her step. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Her eyes widened with exaggerated antagonism while she pursed her lips. "My writing gets worse the more I try to neaten it, so I've decided to go with the flow," Misao explained, flipping her long braid of dark hair over her shoulder distractively.

Peering at the messy mass of multicolored pen-strokes, Kaoru sent her friend an amazed smile and lifted her hand in a small wave as she exited the cracker-box office, stuffing the slip of paper into her pocket. Glancing at the small silver watch on her wrist, Kaoru calculated the remaining time of the scheduled lunch period and deduced there was still time to indulge in some much needed midday nourishment.

Her pumps clicked on the polished floor of the deserted hallway as she quickly walked to the marked lunchroom. Pushing back a slip of her hair that had come free from the loose bun at the nape of her neck, Kaoru turned a corner and headed straight for the lunchroom. Arriving a few short moments later, she pushed open the large aqua door and stepped into the oversized room buzzing with excited laughter and playful banter. Heat from the warmers on the small bar with the day's lunch food sent out a wave of humid air, clouding the room with hazy warmth.

Kaoru weaved through the many students who stood or sat happily at their tables, conversing with their friends and table-mates. A smile creased her lips when she saw her cousin sitting with Kenshin at a table in the corner, their heads bent together as if formulating some secret conspiracy. Tsubame, the young girl who seemed attached to Yahiko these days, stood to the side, her gaze glued the swaying trees outside the school lunchroom's window. As Kaoru neared the whispering pair, she caught hints of something pertaining to tangents, cosines and complicated graphs.

Ah, calculus. Currently Yahiko's worst subject. He still refused to get a tutor to assist him in his studies. Apparently, though, he'd found a willing "tutor" in their kind neighbor.

Quietly, Kaoru pulled out a red plastic chair from the table and sat down, resting her elbows on the cool surface and peering at the two curiously. Yahiko slid his gaze to hers slowly, a look of irritation flickering in the brown depths of his eyes. Kaoru smiled knowingly at him and tilted her head to the side. With a sigh, the boy turned back to the man he sat beside and set his pencil flat on the table.

Interrupting Kenshin's informative narrative, Yahiko said in a dry tone, "Why don't I just come to your room after school? It's really noisy in here."

Kenshin trailed off and looked up from the paper he was writing a mathematical equation on, his eyes clouding with slight confusion. He blinked at the boy, then noticed Kaoru sitting silently beside Yahiko.

"Ah," Kenshin started with a small nod of comprehension. "That's fine. We should be able to finish this then."

Yahiko gathered his stray pencils and closed his green spiral notebook with a slap. He grabbed his backpack from the floor and turned away from the adults. Touching Tsubame lightly on her upper arm, Yahiko motioned for her to follow him. Together, the pair walked over to a crowded table at the other end of the room and joined in with the animated laughter.

"Is he having much trouble?" Kaoru asked Kenshin with a slight frown.

"Nah. Just a little confusion on a few simple concepts." Kenshin smiled at her. "Nothing a little help can't fix."

"Thanks," Kaoru replied with a smile of understanding appreciation.

Kenshin leaned back in his chair and winked at her with mischievous mirth, his eyes glowing with a hint of trouble. "I helped you in High School. Figured I could do the same with your cousin."

The slight redhead bent over and grabbed a medium sized bag from underneath his chair. Settling it down on the table with a firm plop, he unfolded the top and reached inside to pull out a large plastic Tupperware dish. Kenshin reached back inside causing the paper bag to crinkle and pulled out two white plastic forks, keeping one for himself, while casually handing Kaoru the other one.

Wiggling excitedly in her chair, Kaoru's eyes lighted with anticipation as she leaned forward, waiting for Kenshin to take off the green lid.

"So what do we have today?" she asked slyly, grinning at him eagerly.

"Mmm, not that recipe you gave me yesterday," he answered with a sudden laugh of slight incredulity. "I tried it last night, and the end result was this conglomeration of green goo, yellow sprinkles and mushy pickles." He scrunched his nose up with disgusted humor and shook his head slowly, amazement apparent in his unhurried movements. "I didn't even have to courage to eat it."

A sheepish smile graced his lips as he hunched his shoulders down slightly, appealing to Kaoru with silent eyes. Kaoru seemed slightly confused at this unforeseen problem as she absently twirled a stray strand of hair with her pointer and middle finger. She blew out a breath of air and shrugged faintly, pursing her lips with confusion.

Perching her chin in her hand, Kaoru bit the inside of her cheek. "That was my grandmother's recipe."

Kenshin leaned forward and bopped her lightly on the nose, chuckling. "She left out some key ingredients."

"Well, she did say that it had a couple secret ingredients that she couldn't possibly write down." Kaoru tapped her fingernails against the table-top. "Now that I think about it, most of her ingredients are the same way."

Pulling the lid of the Tupperware dish off, Kenshin looked at Kaoru, comprehension dawning. "And these wouldn't be the recipes that you use to cook with, would they?"

"Of course."

Setting the lid aside, Kenshin pushed the food to the center of the table so they could both reach it easily. "Well, that explains a lot."

A delicious aroma of expertly cooked lasagna wafted into the air, causing Kaoru's mouth the water and her eyes to widen at the beautiful sight of the warm Italian food. Her stomach rumbled hungrily as she slid her plastic fork into the scrumptious pasta, snagging a fork full of the treat.

"About what?" Kaoru asked around a mouth full of lasagna, vaguely recalling Kenshin's last random comment.

"Nothing," he responded a shake of his head and a wry smile while he watched her chew his cooking happily.

* * *

On their way back to their respective classrooms thirty minutes later, Kaoru tapped Kenshin lightly on his forearm and tilted her head to the side in slight question.

"I'm funding a small after-school field trip tonight since it's Friday. The carnival's in town and there are some great photo opportunities there. About half of my class is coming with their parents and I was wondering if you wanted to come along?"

Kenshin shoved his hands into his pockets and stopped in front of the door to his classroom. Nodding his head slowly, he replied, "What time? I have to help Yahiko for a little while this afternoon."

"About five-thirty. I asked Yahiko if he wanted to go, but he claims he already has important plans," Kaoru said, clasping her hands behind her back.

Smiling slowly, he stepped backwards into his classroom. "Yeah. I'll just meet you at the entrance gates, okay? I have some other errands I want to squeeze in as well."

Smiling happily at him, Kaoru nodded emphatically, "Great. I'll see you then." Turning, she hurried down the hallway to her classroom, a slight bounce apparent in her step.

* * *

Squeezing herself underneath the low bed with muttered groan of irritation, Kaoru inadvertently inhaled a nose full of musky dust and, in turn, let out an explosively loud sneeze. She jerked her head with a grimace and bopped the top of her head against the mattress support beams with a silent crack.

"Damnit," she muttered to herself with a disgusted grimace, scrunching up her nose reflexively as she felt another sneeze building. She quickly stuffed her hand underneath her nose and instinctively tensed her shoulders. But thankfully nothing happened. Sighing absently, Kaoru resumed her perilous search for her missing shoe.

Opening her eyes and squinting, she slowly managed to make out the slight silhouette of a familiar tennis shoe. With a cry of cheerful relief, Kaoru reached her sweaty hand out and wrapped her grasping fingers around a strip of lone shoe lace, pulling the annoying shoe to her. Once she had to shoe snug within her possession, Kaoru gripped the white rubber sole and slowly pushed herself out from under the bed. She sat up with an irritated moan, brushing her ruffled bangs from her flushed face.

With an excited murmur on her lips, Kaoru pushed her sock-clad foot into the suede prison and tied the stark white laces into a neat bow. Placing her palm flat against the cool floor, Kaoru pushed herself up off the floor with a satisfied huff. She wiped her hands against the front of her blue jeans to brush the dirty wrinkles away, and stepped over to the full-length mirror against the wall to double check her appearance for the final time.

Her jeans, dark green blouse, and tennis shoes looked fine. But…Kaoru scrunched up her nose and brushed her hands through her mussed hair in an impatient manner. Freaking dust bunnies. They clung to random strands of her hair with annoying exactness, creating white blobs of interruption in the normally shiny mass. Reaching over to grasp a hairbrush off her vanity, she hurriedly ran it through her hair, made one last final check to make sure the dust bunnies met their untimely end, and turned away from the revealing mirror. Grabbing her purple purse from the foot of her bed, Kaoru slung it over her shoulder in a swift motion.

With even strides, she exited her bedroom and hurried down the many stairs. She'd have to cross the small expanse of water between her island and the mainland, and then drive her Ford Explorer which was parked in the petite driveway next to Kenshin's house to the carnival.

* * *

Standing beside the colorfully painted ticket booth at the entrance gate of the carnival, Kaoru slipped her hands into her jean pockets and pulled out a small wad of purple tickets she'd bought earlier in the week for her students. Thankfully, the clouds previously dominating the sky had dissipated and the slowly descending sun cast a shadow of pale, streaking colours.

A girl from one of Kaoru's classes walked over, a cheerful smile on her face. Her mother walked beside her, carrying a small blue camera bag over her shoulder while talking quietly to her daughter.

Kaoru smiled at her student and extended one of the tickets to the girl. "Hello, Emily," she said kindly. "Go on inside. I'm waiting for other students to appear."

Emily nodded in response, and took the ticket from her teacher. She grabbed her mother's arm and propelled the older woman to the guard tearing the tickets. They walked in together, talking with hushed excitement.

More students trickled in as the minutes ticked by, and by the time five-thirty rolled around, everyone except one student and Kenshin had showed up. Kaoru crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the metal fence she stood in front of. Her eyes scanned the jam-packed parking lot while she tapped the tip of her tennis shoes against the concrete, humming small melody silently.

"Hey," a soft voice uttered into Kaoru's ear, hot breath warming her neck, causing tingles of pleasure to skitter down her spine.

Kaoru smiled happily, clutching her hands together in front of her waist. She slid her eyes from the parking lot to Kenshin's still frame, a impish glint flashing in her sapphire orbs. He stood sideways, facing her, leaning his shoulder against the fence.

"Am I late?" he asked, his eyes tracing the planes of her face.

Kaoru tilted her head to the side and shrugged slightly. "Mmm, a little bit," she teased. "Maybe an hour or so. I've been waiting here forever it seems."

"Right," Kenshin replied drolly, narrowing his eyes to peer at her suspiciously. "I distinctly heard you say five-thirty, Kamiya."

Kaoru turned her gaze back to the parking lot and sighed dramatically, slumping her shoulders dismally for effect. "I guess you're right. As always," she uttered softly, her tone taking on a hint of fabricated gloom.

Kenshin chuckled at her idiocy. He started to say something more, but was interrupted by an excited call for Kaoru.

"Miss Kamiya," Deirdre shouted enthusiastically, waving her hand back and forth as she bounced cheerfully toward the pair of adults.

An easy smile creased Kaoru's lips as she watched her student come closer, a camera clutched tightly between the girl's hands. Kaoru pulled a folded ticket from her pocket and handed it to Deirdre.

"My Mom said she was coming later. She had an errand to run," Deirdre explained with a smile. "But, I've got my camera. Is everyone else here?"

Kaoru nodded and motioned for Deirdre to go on. "Yep. Go right on inside. Mr. Himura and I will be right behind you."

The young girl nodded and walked over to the man tearing the tickets, and disappeared inside.

"We better follow her. I don't want her wandering around alone," Kaoru said, nudging Kenshin in the side as she pushed off from the fence. She grabbed his arm and pulled him with her. "Let's go, Mr. Himura."

He followed her obediently, a goofy smile pasted on his lips. He cocked an eyebrow at her and grinned. "Mr. Himura? You know I don't think you've ever actually called me that before. Sounds so formal."

"Don't get used to it, Himura," she replied slyly. "I don't plan on calling you that name often."

Kenshin chuckled and followed his best friend inside the gate of the carnival. Together, they went off after Kaoru's enthusiastic student, chatting merrily.

* * *

Hours later, under the dark cloak of the clear night sky, Kenshin and Kaoru ambled down the wide concrete path, passing the many lighted booths with numerous stuffed animals and shouting people. Familiarly, Kenshin slung his arm over Kaoru's shoulders as she clutched a bright pink puppy in arms, won by a certain redhead. In response to his movement, Kaoru wrapped her arm snugly around his slim waist. Kenshin ruffled his hand through her loose hair playfully. They passed many rides, listening to screaming people enjoying the daring trip of adventure the may rides offered.

Suddenly, Kenshin stopped in front of ride.

An extremely large ride.

A revolving, flashing, singing ride.

A ride Kaoru had refused to go on since the first day she'd laid eyes on it.

The dire, dreaded Ferris wheel.

Kaoru stepped away from Kenshin, a frown marring her features. Tapping her fingers against the plush fur of her stuffed puppy, she raised a quizzical eyebrow, questioning Kenshin silently.

Kenshin turned away from her and placed his hands down on top of the cool metal on the short fence in front of them, watching the people currently on the ride who were laughing happily.

"Don't you think it's time you finally tried it?" he asked solemnly.

Kaoru swallowed reflexively and looked past Kenshin to the perilous ride that had always caused her heart to beat a little faster in uncomfortable trepidation. She stepped up beside Kenshin and leaned weakly against the fence, her body suddenly drained of energy.

"Most of your students have left, and the remaining ones have their parents with them. I'll be in the seat beside you. And there's no way the chair will plummet randomly to the ground," he said, correctly voicing Kaoru's worst fear.

Blinking, Kaoru turned her gaze to the person she trusted most in the world. She knew Kenshin would never force her to do it if she didn't want to do it. If she refused as she had every other time in the past, they'd walk way as if nothing happened. Kenshin always understood.

Maybe this was why a bubble of nervous exhilaration flushed Kaoru's chest with heat, her cheeks burning terribly with hot anxiety.

And maybe this was why she suddenly had the uncontrollable urge to go on her most feared ride.

Breathlessly, Kaoru turned to Kenshin and grabbed his warm hand with her now sweaty one, her eyes darting to his as she swallowed with difficulty.

In a voice so soft, Kenshin could barely hear her, Kaoru whispered in a shaken tone, "Okay."

Kenshin's eyes widened a small degree, but he quickly shuttered his astonished expression expertly. A slow grin of amazement graced his lips as he tilted his head to the side to peer at her.

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

Kaoru nodded jerkily, her hand tightening on his for comfort. With a small step, she moved closer to him. Kenshin studied her for a moment, watching as she tried to contain her intense emotions of unease. Tugging her gently, he propelled the both of them to the young teenager collecting the tickets for the ride. The girl stared at the striking couple - the short, though distinguished looking red-haired man and the pretty woman standing by his wide, trembling slightly. Popping her pink bubble gum, the girl accepted the tickets and opened the small waist-high door, allowing the two to come inside. The ride stopped to allow a pair of giggling girls to get off. They clutched their sides in hilarity as they left the vicinity of the rides and disappeared around the side of a small concession stand.

Kaoru didn't seem to notice the two girls. She stared at the swinging yellow seat with wide eyes. Kenshin placed a hand on the middle of her back and pushed her closer to the ride, reassuring her with silent and sturdy thoughtfulness. Together, they sat inside the metal chair. Kaoru watched as the heavy metal bar was pushed toward their bodies, trapping them both inside.

Kaoru tensed the moment the ride started.

The first time around, Kaoru's eyes were shut tightly form the astonishing view, her strong grip clutching the bar in front of her for dear life, and her body was rigid with pent-up tension. Kenshin scooted closer to his best friend, hoping the calm, relaxed set of his body would slowly diffuse over to Kaoru, lighting her load of dreadful thoughts. She bit her lip between her teeth while a slow, almost inaudible whimper passed through her lips.

"Open your eyes."

Kaoru started a little at the unexpected sound of his soothing voice.

"Kaoru. Open your eyes."

In addition to Kenshin's small plead, the slow movements of the rocking chair and gentle tinkle of melodious music lulled her gently, making Kaoru's eyes open languidly.

Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes took in the brilliance of the view. The higher they climbed and farther away they traveled from the steady ground, the more surreal the experience became. The small people below scurried around, little dots dancing amongst the small booths and miscellaneous carnival rides. The ground glowed luminously with twinkling, rainbow lights, creating an aura of excited exhilaration.

So beautiful.

The Ferris wheel slowed and came to a stop just as Kenshin and Kaoru crested the very top of the large circular machine. Some of the panic returned then, Kaoru's shoulders bunching with strain, her breath catching in her throat. Reading her body language, Kenshin grabbed Kaoru's hand and intertwined their fingers with ease. Kaoru reacted slowly, her fingers gradually curling securely around Kenshin's own hand.

Kenshin waited as Kaoru's breathing slowed and her expression relaxed somewhat. Unconsciously, he leaned closer to where he could smell the exotic jasmine scented shampoo she had washed her hair with and observe the faint touch of small worry-lines marring her usually smooth forehead. Fluidly, Kaoru turned her head to Kenshin, her eyes swimming with mixed and turbulent emotions. Though, they widened slightly when she realized her close proximity to Kenshin.

Their foreheads were almost touching, eyes locked in a limbo of hazed thoughts, lips scant inches apart to where Kaoru could feel Kenshin's shallow breath on her flushed face. Slowly, Kaoru leaned in closer, causing their breath to mingle. Stomach in nervous knots, she clenched the fabric of her jeans with her free hand. Kenshin's eyelids hooded his hazed eyes drowsily as stab of acute anticipation swelled inside of him.

So close.

So heart-achingly close.

The ride jerked suddenly, rattling the two adults inside the rocking yellow seat. Blinking, Kenshin hurriedly snapped back, his stomach leaping in his throat while Kaoru leaned to the side, her fear momentarily abated by the keen disappointment raging in her pumping bloodstream. She turned away from Kenshin's probing gaze before he noticed the shift in her expression and placed both of her faintly trembling hands on the cool metal railing in front of her.

The slow descent of the Ferris wheel brought them back to earth - or rather reality. Once they came to a stop on the elevated platform on the ground, the constraining bar was lifted up and away, allowing them to get off the ride with ease. Kaoru shuddered slightly as a sudden chilly breeze slipped slowly over the exposed skin of her arms. She wrapped her arms around her waist and followed Kenshin out of the vicinity of the looming Ferris wheel.

As they started to walk through the numerous chattering people once more, joining the fold of excitement, Kaoru felt a small smile curl the edge of lips. She gasped as an unexpected comforting warmth enveloped her, pleasantly driving her eyes to close with knee-weakening bliss. Turning to the now jacket-less Kenshin, Kaoru's expression softened as she watched a kind, calming smile slip over his beautiful face. Clutching his borrowed jacket more closely around her body, Kaoru sighed.

"Do you want some cotton candy?" he asked with a lighthearted wink.

Kaoru tilted her head to the side and slipped her left arm through his like she did when they were younger.

"Sounds good to me."

And they walked off side by side in an easy silence, both slightly dazed.

Both still just a tad confused.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I'm not sure how fast I'll be able to get the next chapter out. It should be relatively soon…no longer than a couple weeks. Promise.

Remember to review!


	10. Moonlit Rapture

**Author's Note**: Finally managed to get this chapter done, which I'm very happy about. It appears as if quite a number of people liked that Ferris wheel scene. Good, good, good…I'm happy so many people are reviewing and telling me what they think. (smile)

**Reviewer Responses**:

Wow, this is record for me. 29 reviews for one chapter. Thanks so much.

person: I love reading vampire fics as well. And werewolf stories. And fantasy and sci-fi. I could go on and on… (grin) But, heh, that shoe scene was rather random on my part. I'm not quite sure where it came from; it just appeared while I was writing. Funny how that happens. And that silly secret ingredient…sheds some light on why Kaoru tends to mess up on cooking, doesn't it? (smile) I've only been to a few carnivals before, but it's an experience that stays with you, so you don't need repeated instances to influence you. Very fun, colorful, exciting. You should try to go to one of you get the chance. And funny, enough…I've never been on a real Ferris Wheel at a fair, amusement park, carnival…whatever. I did go on one when I was in Chicago for a school trip at the Navy Pier, but it was in this little box…two benches, windows on all sides, completely closed in and no movement. Got in with a bunch of friends, one who is terrified - absolutely terrified - of heights and she didn't utter a peep about how scary it was so, yeah… (rolls eyes) But, anyways, enough of my rambling. Thanks for reviewing again. As always I look forward to your review. (grin)

Aine of Knockaine: That's great you liked the last chapter. Thanks so much for reviewing again. Hope you like this chapter as well.

JBella: Glad it's worth waiting for. (smile) Hope you enjoy this chapter as much. Sorry for taking so long to update. Thanks for reviewing.

Kaibas-Rose: Thanks so much for your kind thoughts. I'm glad you reviewed.

Nanakiyoda: Thanks so much for waiting patiently. Hope you enjoy the update.

Raeyn-chan: Thanks so much for reviewing three chapters. Hopefully just because you didn't review anymore chapters doesn't mean you didn't just stop reading at number four…I agree with you on the wind throwing her into the water. I'm currently trying to find a way to rewrite that little tidbit to make it more believable. I cringe whenever I read that part. Hopefully I'll have that corrected soon. Thanks for your input. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapters you reviewed. Thanks for leaving your thoughts.

Brittanie Love: Yes, there _is_ always next time. (grin) Thanks for reviewing again. I'm happy you're enjoying the updates.

kagomefan: I'm trying, I promise. Thanks for your review.

Bradybunch4529: The shoe scene was neat it a purely random way. (laugh) I'm glad you liked that part. Kaoru with the food (rolls eyes) she's just horrid…and the ferris wheel…I like that scene as well. (smile) Thanks for reviewing again. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Ange Noir: Don't worry about 'being slow on the uptake'. I have the same problem…I can be so absentminded sometimes…forgetting what I was doing, writing, reading…thinking. Sigh. Terrible. (shakes head) I wasn't going to make Kaoru teach for another semester, but hey, it works, right? She can stand the torture of teaching for a little while longer. (smile) Yeah, thanks for reviewing all my RK stories. If you like Inuyasha, you should read the Inuyasha fic I posted a little while ago. But it's great reading all of your reviews. I have read the newest chapter on your story, but I keep forgetting to go over and review. Bad me. Very good, though, by the way. I'm definitely enjoying it.

Pego: I try really hard not to make the end of each chapter too abrupt, cheesy or out of place. I'm happy you liked how I ended the last one. And once again, I like your review. (grin) Hopefully, you'll like my update as well. Thanks for reviewing!

MoonStars: Makes you sick? I hope not. (wink) I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks for leaving your thoughts.

Tamara Makenzie: I couldn't help but laugh when I read your review, because it reminded me so much of myself. Honestly, if I'm reading anything, I completely zone out my surroundings and other people. Either I ignore others purposely (bad me) or I just don't hear them. Heh. Oops. But, it is very flattering that you became so immersed in my writing, you were able to shut out others. (grin) I'm happy you like Whites Tides as well. Thanks so much for leaving your great thoughts and I hope you enjoy this update, and the one I posted for White Tides a few days ago.

Hanako110: Aw, thanks so much for your kind thoughts. I'm very happy you're enjoying my story so much. And don't worry about rushing me. Sometimes I need that extra push to get working. (smile) Thanks bunches for leaving your nice review.

Megumi Readman: Ferris wheels are evil. He he. Just kidding. You should definitely try to ride one sometime if you get the chance. Yeah, I wish I had had a teacher willing to buy a ticket to the carnival for me as well. Yeah, maybe the kiss'll happen some other time, right. You can always hope. (smile) Thanks for reviewing again. Glad you liked it.

Lena17: Draws you in, huh? That's great. (smiles happily) I'm glad you're liking it so much. Thanks very much reviewing again.

Sapphire Priestess: Glad to see you reviewed again. I'm relieved you aren't one of those people who get frantic when their names are miss-spelled or in this case miss-read. Ugh…I can be so absentminded sometimes. I hope you enjoy the update. Thanks so much for reviewing again.

froggi3: I'm a sucker for that sort of thing as well. Makes me smile like crazy. (wink) I'm glad you liked that scene and also took the time to review. Thanks so much!

kitsune: You're welcome for the last chapter. I'm happy you liked the ferris wheel scene. I hope you enjoy this update as well. (smile)

Neko-Yuff16: You love my story? That's great! Thanks very much for leaving your thoughts. I'm happy you like it so far.

inuwolf04: Here's the update. Hope you like it.

pinkcarr: I'm trying really hard not to rush their relationship. I'm glad you like the slow development. I'm trying to make some more great scenes. Thanks muchly for reviewing. Hope you like this update.

paisita: Read it all at once? Good for you! I tried to put Kenshin's pov in this chapter and there's a flashback. Hope you like it. Thanks so much for reviewing.

RogueSummersLover: I'm happy you like the story so far. Hopefully you'll like this chapter as well. Thanks for reviewing.

Silent Tears of Agony: I've been called weird many times in my life because I don't particularly care for anything that's orange flavored. Usually if I decide to drink orange juice it doesn't have the pulp. Just a quirk of mine. (grin) My sisters love orange juice with pulp. That certain conversation stems from one I actually had with them. Not word for word, but along similar lines. I'm sure to those who like oranges, that sandwich would be yummy too. (smile) Guess those are just some of my biases. Bad me, huh? He he. If anyone's strange, it's probably me. (wink) I'm happy you like my story. Thanks so much for reviewing.

De Lazy Lime: 'So slow'…I hope it's not too slow. Thanks for leaving your thoughts. Yeah, they were close, weren't they. I'm such a mean writer…(grin) I'm glad you like it so far.

Anonymous miss: Tomoe will appear. Eventually. I'm not quite sure when. But, she will poke her little head in. But, I'm glad you like the story. And I'm equally glad you reviewed. Thanks so much.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

**Flashback is in _italics_.**

_**Tendrils of Sunset**_

**Chapter 10**

_"Moonlit Rapture"_

Swinging her legs playfully in the breeze, Tsubame cast a shy look over at Yahiko who sat beside her on the edge of the dock as she tapped her fingertips against the worn wood. Reaching up to brush her errant brown bangs from her eyes, she turned her gaze out to the rippling waves of the calm lake. Breathing in the fresh air of the afternoon, Tsubame watched the lethargic crawl of plump clouds floating in the sky.

"Do you like living here?" she asked him softly.

Yahiko turned to the girl beside him, a small smile on his lips. "Yeah."

She sighed gently, her eyes softening as she turned to face him, their eyes locking. "I'm glad. You seem happier now that you've moved here." Tsubame tilted her head to the side. "And I have to admit it is rather beautiful here."

Yahiko hummed silently under his breath and leaned forward slightly, placing both hands palm down beside his legs. "Do you want a tour?"

"Yeah," Tsubame responded excitedly, her eyes lighting with excitement.

Reaching over to grab her wrist, Yahiko stood and half dragged the shy girl with him away from the dock and down a shaded path.

Up on the hill, Kaoru watched the two teenagers from a distance with a fond smile as they disappeared underneath the canopy of bare tree branches. Clasping her hands in front of her and sighing, Kaoru tilted her head to the side and sent her best friend a hooded grin. Kenshin raised an eyebrow in response and leaned back against the sturdy trunk of a broad tree.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he asked, "So when are we going to get started?"

Turning sideways, Kaoru lifted her gaze to the sky and studied the slant of the bright mid-day sun.

"Patience is a virtue," she murmured softly as a stray thought, bringing a hand to her forehead to shade her eyes. "Maybe fifteen minutes. The sunlight will be perfect, then."

Kenshin pushed off away from the tree and followed her gaze. "Where are we going to take these photos?"

"Other side of the island."

Chuckling to himself, Kenshin laid a hand gently on her shoulder and smiled with amusement. "Then, shouldn't we get moving? By the time we get there, the sunlight will be perfect."

Kaoru opened her mouth in response, then shut it when logic entered her current train of thought. Placing her hand on top of the camera resting against her chest, anchored by the camera strap hanging around her neck, she turned and started to walk away, feet shuffling in the disrupted, dry soil of the path.

"Come on," she muttered to him.

Kenshin stuffed his chilled hands into the pockets of his forest green jacket and followed his moody best friend. They walked in companionable silence through the scenic passageway of nature, encompassed by the sway of autumn's gentle breeze. Along the way, Kaoru magically revealed small bits of bread from her pockets to give to the geese they passed. Her eyes softened with a delicate glow while her lips curved in a soft smile of happiness as she watched her beloved birds.

The two came to a small open area dusted with hearty flowers of muted purple and bare bushes which sparsely dotted the line of robust trees. A flashing of the sun glinted off the nearby ripples of the lake. Kaoru came to a halt in the middle of the small opening and fiddled with her camera, her expression schooled with serious concentration. Kenshin stepped up behind her and looked over her shoulder, watching her fiddle with the settings on her new digital camera.

"What should I do?" he asked.

She scrunched up her face and slid him sly look. Waving her hand to the side, she replied, "Um, just go over there."

"Over where?"

"There."

Sighing patiently, Kenshin stepped to the side. "Here?"

Kaoru looked up with a frown and shook her head. "No."

Kenshin stepped backwards. "Here?"

She shook her head and bit her lip when he stepped forward. Walking over to him, she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him sideways closer to the water and a small peppering of purple flowers.

"Now do something natural."

"Natural?" he asked, somewhat perplexed.

"Yeah," she said as she backed up and smiled triumphantly at her camera when she finally reached the correct formulation of settings. When she looked back up, he stood with his arms tensely at his sides, his mouth turned downward in a frown, shoulders slouching with a self-conscious slope. He drew his eyebrows together at her dubious expression.

"What?" he asked suspiciously.

"You like you did when we entered that talent contest in middle school and I asked you to sing in front of a room of scary adults," Kaoru responded with a frown and placed one hand on her hip. "I'm not asking you to strip down and dance around naked in the sunlight like a sun-worshipping pagan. What's the problem, Kenshin?"

"You know I've always felt weird in front of the camera."

Kaoru stepped forward, reached up, wrapped her fingers around the tail of his red ponytail and tugged roughly, bopping him lightly on the chest with palm of her other hand.

His eyes brightened with mischief and slitted with hooded agitation. To capture his sudden expression, Kaoru snapped a quick picture in a flash of rapid movements, a small giggle escaping her lips. Kenshin's eyes widened and he stepped back from her, eyeing her with a knowing gaze.

"Gotten a little quick, have we?" he asked. "I thought we agreed I'd be the fast one and you'd be the slug."

"Slug!" she exclaimed with a small laugh.

"Yeah, slug," Kenshin said with a teasing smirk, slipping his hands into his jean pockets.

She snapped another picture.

He walked to the left, circling her as he shook his head. "There you go again."

"I learned a few things overseas."

"I can tell. Last time we did this it was like posing for a painting. I felt like I was going burst from boredom."

Kaoru sent him a wry look. "Thanks. I won an award for that photo, buddy."

"Only because I was in it."

Kaoru laughed in spite of herself and took a step towards him, causing him to take a small step back in retaliation. Soon Kenshin stood with his back against the vast expanse of the placid water, facing his impishly grinning best friend who shifted her weight to her left leg and bit her lip.

"I've always wanted to take this…one…photo," she said softly.

"And what would that be?"

Stepping closer to him, her eyes shimmered with mischievous calculation. She held her camera in one hand while she slightly wiggled the fingers on her other hand by her side somewhat nervously.

"Kaoru?"

She didn't respond.

But…

To Kenshin's amazement, she pushed him. Into the lake.

In the middle of the surprising commotion, he heard the distinctive 'click' of her camera, her nervous laughter and the startled yelp he felt erupt from his own lips. Thankfully the water was shallow, so he landed on his butt in a slick pile of mud, water lapping around his legs, soaking slowly through his blue cotton shirt and jeans. Blinking up at Kaoru's cringing face, a need for revenge swept through his wobbly limbs.

"You okay?" she asked softly, placing her camera down in the cool grass. Kneeling down with a hesitant smile, Kaoru bit her lip.

Silently, Kenshin raised a muddy hand, motioning for her to help him up from the sticky mess of slushy water. Sighing, Kaoru wrapped her dry, clean hand his fingers and screamed when he gleefully pulled her face down into the water, his joyous laughter drifting through cool air. Sputtering, Kaoru pushed herself up as she tried to wipe the mud from the side of her face, but slipped and fell back into the water a yelp.

Kenshin wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her from the water, his eyes dancing with hilarity and mouth split in a wide grin. Looking down at her grumpy, dirty visage Kenshin brushed her wet bangs from her eyes and chuckled.

"Now, I'm just fine."

* * *

Thirty minute later, rocking with the rhythmic bobbing of the small wooden boat, Yahiko slumped in his seat and clenched his fingers more tightly around the fishing pole he held in his hands. Shooting an irritated glare at his cousin, he growled, "This is ridiculous, Kaoru."

Kaoru rolled her eyes upward and sighed, turning her head to gaze at Yahiko while brushing her still wet hair over her shoulder, away from her face.

"Shut up. You'll scare away the fish," she replied, shifting her fishing pole in her hands to get a better grip. She started to reel in the line slowly, tantalizing the mindless fish below the surface of the water with her tricky bait.

"Scare away the fish?" he sputtered with mild outrage, his cheeks flushing. "There are no fish."

"Of course there are fish, you halfwit."

Yahiko snorted and shook his head with amusement. "Halfwit? Where'd you get that? One of those romance novels you have in your room?"

In his corner of the boat, Kenshin chuckled softly to himself as he helped Tsubame stick some live bait on the end of her fishing hook.

Kaoru shot her cousin a scathing look and gritted her teeth. "No," she bit out tightly.

"Sure…," Yahiko replied sarcastically as he fiddled absentmindedly with his fishing pole while frowning with puzzlement. "I've never used one of these things before. How the hell does it work?"

"Figure it out, twerp."

"Thanks, cuz. You're an angel."

"Anytime."

Tsubame frowned slightly and tool her fishing pole from Kenshin. "Do they always fight like that?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Kenshin flashed her a cheerful smile and nodded. "Everyday. All the time."

Tsubame looked over at the fidgeting Yahiko and sighed, her expression filled with exasperation and slight amusement.

"Yo, Kenshin!" Sano shouted from adjacent boat about ten feet away. "What are you doing?" His large hands rested on the ends of his boat's two oars as he faced Megumi who sat in front of him on the low bench. She watched her boyfriend with open vexation.

Kaoru whipped around. "Fishing. Be quiet!"

Megumi crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow, spearing Sano with a knowing look. He shook his head in response, leaning against the side of his boat.

"Didn't you take your anxiety medication this morning, Kaoru?" Sano teased loudly with a condescending grin

Yahiko burst out laughing. "I think she's just waterlogged. Good job, Kenshin."

Kenshin smiled sheepishly and snuck a quick look at the glowering face of Kaoru. He could tell by the tense set of her shoulders and flat line of her lips that she was ready to toss the younger boy over the edge of the boat and watch him flounder helplessly in the water.

"She got me good, too," Kenshin replied.

"Yes, I did," Kaoru said haughtily, pushing her fist against Yahiko's upper arm firmly.

He glared at her in response. But, didn't have time to retaliate, because he was too busy trying to keep himself from being knocked out of the boat when Sano inexpertly and accidentally rammed his boat against theirs, Megumi yelling at him as he grabbed a hold of the adjacent boat's rim.

"Hey, Kenshin," he started. "Want to grab a burger with me, tonight?"

Kenshin cast Sano an apologetic look. "I have plans with Kaoru."

Sano sighed loudly, looking at his girlfriend wearily. "Ah, too bad."

Yahiko snorted and tried to pry the older man's fingers from the boat rim. "You have a girlfriend, you freeloader. Go out with her."

"Ah, yeah. Will do," he replied absently.

Megumi raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a problem with me?"

A panicked look flashed in Sano's eyes and he shook his head quickly. "No, no. I just couldn't remember if I already had plans with Kenshin."

Sano let go of the other boat. As they drifted slowly out of earshot, Yahiko snorted. "The idiot forgot he already had plans with her, didn't he?"

Kaoru frowned and shifted in her seat. "Probably."

-

Later that night, footsteps clumping hollowly on the wooden planks of the dock, Kenshin sucked in a deep breath of fresh night air and let his eyes scan the dark horizon. The breeze tousled his long hair, brushing his ponytail against the smooth fabric of his jacket. Though he came to meet Kaoru, he arrived at the designated place on her island a few minutes early so he could think. It seemed he very rarely found the time to immerse himself in his thoughts. His fingers itched to feel the rough hilt of his time-worn sword. He had always managed to think better whilst practicing his swordsmanship.

Kneeling and placing one hand against he dock, Kenshin settled down and slung his legs over the edge to dangle his feet inches above the lake water. Closing his eyes and rubbing his fingers tiredly against his forehead, Kenshin reflected on the surreal night a week ago when he had gone to the festive carnival with Kaoru. He still couldn't fully comprehend what had happened that night. Or, that is, what had _almost_ happened.

What if the Ferris wheel hadn't started at that exact moment?

Would he have gone through with it?

Would he have…_kissed_...her?

Kenshin swallowed and raised his head once more to gaze at the luminescent glow of the full moon's solemn face. They'd been in a situation similar, though not identical, to the Ferris wheel before. But, that had been when they were younger on one of his trips home from college. And he hadn't been nearly as confused as he was now. Plus he'd had a girlfriend at the time. Tomoe to be exact.

He hadn't ever given the instance a second thought, merely brushing over it as if nothing had happened. Now, he wondered how Kaoru had felt at the time.

_Jamming his face into the plush feather pillow, Kenshin moaned and pulled the multicolored quilt up over his shoulders to block off the frigid chill of the winter air seeping into his bedroom. Wiggling his toes and hiding them in the folds of the quilt, he tried to warm his poor freezing feet. Sleep clouded to edges of his mind as he groggily tried to pinpoint the exact location of his currently screaming alarm clock. The maniacal exactness of the shrill screeching of the metal clock filled his hazy mind._

_Finally, his questing fingers managed to depress a small button on the top of the annoying machine, while also knocking it accidentally onto the blue carpet with a hushed thump. Ignoring his errant action, Kenshin wrapped his arms around his pillow, tension ebbing from his muscles while his mind drifted into a dreamless state of relaxation._

_He had almost surrendered to sleep when the alarm clock vibrated and screamed with devilish childlike glee. Damnit, he must have hit the snooze button. Unable to muster up the needed strength to lean over the side of his bed and turn off the clock once and for all, Kenshin gritted his teeth at the irritating noise and decided if he could successfully spar with his crazy uncle, he had the needed mental and physical resilience to ignore an alarm clock._

_Thirty seconds later…_

_There was only so much he could take._

_He'd decided to turn it off when he heard the distinctive shuffle of feet against his carpet, slowly walking over to the side of his bed. And then the alarm clock stopped. Sighing in relief, Kenshin cracked open one blurry eye and saw a flash of dark hair._

_"Tomoe," he muttered huskily._

_As small smile slid lazily over his lips, Kenshin reached out an arm and languidly wrapped the limb around the slight girl's waist, drawing her on the bed and into the circle of his arms. He felt the girl suck in a startled breath, her heart start to beat in a more accelerated pace, and her muscles tense slightly. Nuzzling his nose against the cool skin of her neck, Kenshin breathed in her scent._

_Odd…she smelled distinctly of a rich jasmine. Had she changed her shampoo? Ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of his throat, Kenshin ran his hands through the silky strands of her hair, only to find that it had grown considerably in the matter of a day._

_Weird._

_Running his fingers blindly along the curve of her jaw, over her high cheekbone, and along the sweet slope of her lips, Kenshin cracked open an eye and stiffened._

_Ah, damn. He forgot he was home and not at school anymore._

_Kaoru peered up at his sleep-clogged features, expression flushed with confusion and slight humor. Raising an eyebrow, a slightly wicked grin curved her lips as she tugged on the long bangs falling into his violet gaze._

_"Fantasizing again?" she kidded softly, her eyes widening mockingly._

_Kenshin groaned and slumped against her, his head falling onto her shoulder. He reached out a hand to playfully run a whispered tickle of fingers along her sensitive side, causing her to gasp with laughter, her eyes dancing merrily. Jerking away from Kenshin, Kaoru sat up, jerked the pillow away from him, and brought the fluffy mass down on top of his head with a swift motion._

_Grunting, Kenshin pulled the pillow away from his face and sat up, running a hand through his tangled hair. Kaoru tugged the sleeve of his green t-shirt and cocked her head to the side coyly as she eyed him with a look he had learned over the years to approach warily and guarded._

_"I see you're wearing those boxers with the pretty little flowers again," Kaoru said with a maddeningly slow smile._

_Kenshin rolled his eyes upward and muttered something inaudible under his breath, scooting away from his irritating best friend with scowl. "They're comfortable," he replied with a sigh. "I can't help that they have dainty flowers embroidered on them."_

_As he walked away from her, he noticed an unreadable emotion flash in her eyes, quickly replaced by a teasing glint of mischief._

_At the time, he'd filed it away as nervous energy._

_Though, now he realized it was probably…longing._

As Kaoru walked slowly down the dock, she let her gaze roam the still form of Kenshin as he stared at the flickering brilliance of the night. Halting her progression, she lifted the camera to her face, peered through the view-finder and depressed the photo button. Kenshin appeared to be lost in a tirade of thoughts, her presence skidding silently under his seemingly ever-present radar. She came to a stop next him and nudged his leg with the toe of her tennis shoe.

Blinking, Kenshin whipped his head up to hers and stared at her blindly for a moment before fully snapping back to reality. Kneeling down beside him, Kaoru smiled.

"Ready?" she asked.

He sighed and creased his lips together in a thin line. "As ready as I'll ever be." Kenshin leaned forward and pushed himself up to stand. "I'll cooperate as long as you promise not push me in the water again."

"Deal."

"Where do you want me?"

Kaoru stood up and stepped back. "You're just fine where you are, though it would be nice if you took your hair down."

"Take my what down?" he asked with a blank expression.

"Your hair."

"Why would I want to do that?"

Kaoru flashed him a pretty smile. "Because I asked you to."

Kenshin grumbled silently under his breath as he complied and pulled the hair band from his long hair. Kaoru watched him with secret amusement.

"Good. Now your jacket."

Raising his eyebrows in disbelief, Kenshin frowned. "It's freezing."

Kaoru fidgeted. "Please."

"I'm not taking off anymore clothes," he told her as he pulled off his jacket and handed it to her. Kaoru slipped her arms into the large, warm folds and nodded.

For the next thirty minutes, Kaoru snapped numerous photos of her best friend, laughing at his random, wry remarks and teasing him with gentle jokes. When she couldn't take anymore photos, Kaoru pulled Kenshin down beside her to sit where he had been resting earlier. Taking the camera strap between her fingers, she removed it from around her neck and placed the camera behind her, away from the edge of the dock.

"So what were you thinking about earlier?" she asked, nudging him in the side.

Kenshin shifted and looked down at her questioning gaze with a soft smile. "Just reminiscing," he replied.

"'Bout what? That painful belly flop into the lake when you were twelve or that time when you walked straight into that telephone pole when we were walking down the sidewalk?" Kaoru asked with smug grin.

"No, no. I've tried very hard to forget those memories, believe it or not."

"Ah, well, imagine that," Kaoru replied as she turned her gaze away from Kenshin to admire the ethereal sheen on the moonlit ripples.

Kaoru reached up a pale hand to brush a dark wisp of hair away from her smooth cheek, her mouth touched with contented awe. Leaning closer to her, brushing against the green fabric of his jacket which she still wore, Kenshin sighed softly.

"Kaoru?"

"Mmm?" she hummed in response, eyes peeled to the languid midnight swim of a shadowed goose gliding expertly through silky waters.

"Look at me."

Tearing her gaze from her majestic goose, Kaoru turned her head slowly to come a hairbreadth away from Kenshin's own face. Her stomach dropped nervously as her eyes widened minutely as a shock of wonder zinged up her limbs to her whirling mind.

Slowly, deliberately, and carefully, Kenshin leaned forward, his hand coming up to cradle her cheek within his palm.

And, then, pressed his cool lips against hers.

When he pulled away, Kenshin watched as Kaoru shuddered and sucked in a deep breath. Her eyes opened lazily, poorly hooding her jumbled emotions. She reached up to run her fingers through his loose hair, staring at him with befuddled marvel.

"Is this okay?" he asked, leaning his forehead against hers as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear familiarly.

Kaoru smiled hesitantly, her eyes brimming with exposed hope. "Oh, yes," she breathed.

"Good," he replied, pulling her closer to slant his lips over hers for a second time, loosing himself in her taste, scent, the feel of her body against his, and gentle hush of her breath. She smiled against his lips, leaning into his welcome embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Well, that should satisfy people's itch about the almost kiss from the last chapter. (evil grin) Hopefully everyone liked this. I'm crossing my fingers. Now, all I have left is a racy sex scene. Heh. (bursts out laughing) Just kidding, you silly people. (snicker) Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Review and tell me your thoughts. I'm waiting patiently (squirms in chair). Promise.


	11. Murmured Revelations

**Author's Note**: I'm actually going to continue where I left off from the last chapter, because I feel the scene could be extended. I put in a small italicized insert from the last chapter for reference.

* * *

**Reviewer Responses**:

kitsune: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! Thanks so much for reviewing. And, yes…KK does rule! lol

paisita: Hope you like this chapter as much as the last. Thanks for reviewing!

RogueSummersLover: lol…thanks very much for your review. I'm glad you like it.

Anonymous miss: Terrible author's note, I know. (grin) I'm very happy you're enjoying the story so far. I'm glad you reviewed!

pinkcarr: Took him long enough, eh? (laugh) Thanks so much for reviewing! It's good to now you like the story the far!

La Magdalena: I'm getting to Tomoe and the revelation of why their marriage fell apart…and I will continue the thought about the truth of Kaoru's feelings damaging Kenshin and Tomoe's relationship….don't worry. (wink) And I guess this update was kind of later rather than sooner. Sorry about that. Hope you like this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

Lena17: I'm so glad you continue to like the updates and you think it's all put together well. That's such a relief. Thanks very much for reviewing again.

MZ. AMbER EYES: It's good to see your review! (smile) Hold off Tomoe? (laugh) I can't promise nothin'. And, I already told you this, but I figured it couldn't hurt to repeat myself. (grin) Kaoru and Sano are just friends…they aren't related in any way. Thanks so much fro reviewing. I'm glad you like the story so far!

Brittanie Love: They sure took their time, didn't they? (laugh) Thanks so much for reviewing again!

person: This was your favorite chapter? Funny enough…I liked it as well. (wink) I'm going to try to bring Megumi back into it more. But, she seems to never fit into my plans. Hopefully that will change. And don't worry about babbling in reviews. The longer, the better, I say. You'll have to tell me what you think of this chapter…I'm very curious. (grin) Thanks for reviewing again. (wave)

saskia2: Yes, I seriously doubt I'd do a sex scene as well. It's currently not in my plans. (sigh) And Tomoe is coming. Very soon, I might add… Thanks so much for your review. I'm glad you like it so far!

Irulan24: All I'm going to say is…I think you might like this chapter. Your review really made me think. Usually, yours do that I've noticed. Thanks for that. It's quite refreshing. Thanks for reviewing.

Mujitsu: Thanks very much for your very kind review. It's great to know you're enjoying my writing. I hope you enjoy this update as well.

De Lazy Lime: (points to self) I'm a big waff lover as well. (laugh) Sorry about the wait. I hope you enjoy the update as much as the rest. Thanks so much for your review!

Neko-Yuff16: (laugh) I'm so glad you love it so far! And it's nice to know that you liked the kiss scene as well. Thanks very much for reviewing again!

Kristin: I like Yahiko and Tsubame as well. They make a really sweet couple. Too soon? Well…in a way. Though Kenshin and Tomoe were separated for quite a while as well before they got divorced. But, thanks so much for your review. I'm so very happy you're enjoying the story so far.(smile) I hope you like this update as well!

Nanakiyoda: (laugh) It might be…but we'll never find out. (sigh) Thanks for reviewing again! Hope you like this update!

Jane Drew: You are actually one of the author's on my "to read" list 'cause you've been recommended to me…so I was really excited when I saw you reviewed. I'm glad you like the photography business. I noticed that no one wanted to delve into the subject, so I decided…what the heck. (smile) I'm really excited that you're enjoying my story so far. Thanks greatly for reviewing!

Wolfie-chan18: My Inuyasha story is next on my list to be updated, so don't sorry. It's coming shortly. I'm really happy you enjoyed the kiss scene. Thanks for reviewing again.

Ange Noir: (laugh) Ah, those boxers…I liked them as well. It's great to know you enjoyed the update. I hope you like this chapter as well. You an annoying reviewer? Hell, no. Far from it, actually. I always look forward to familiar names such as yours in my review lists. Thanks for reviewing again!

Hanako110: (bursts out laughing) I'll get my butt moving right away! I'm really glad you liked chapter ten and that you think the story is brilliant. Thanks very much for leaving your thoughts again.

OoMoonLightPrincesso0: Wow…you reread it three more times? Just…wow. I'm so glad you like it that much. (grin) Thanks so much for dropping in an telling me what you thought!

animegurl23: I love to write Kaoru and Yahiko bickering. (grin) Thanks so much for your enthusiastic review. It's great to know you liked the last chapter so much. (smiles)

Cali: Aw…thanks so much. I'm one of your favorite writers? You just made my day. (smile) I'm so, so glad you've enjoyed my story so far. Besides this story, I have two other on-going Kenshin stories, one Kenshin one-shot and one three-part completed Kenshin fic. Plus an Inuyasha fic. Thanks muchly for your very kind review.

Strawberry Promises: (grin) It's great to know you're enjoying my story so much. Thanks very much for leaving your thoughts. They are muchly appreciated.

Lendra-chan: Here's the update! Sorry making you wait. I hope you like it as well as the rest of the story. Thanks very much for your review.

daffybear: Ooo, I just love your review. So nice and descriptive as well. It definitely made me smile. I'm so happy you're enjoying it so much. I hope you like this new chapter as much! Thank you very, very much for your review.

Crimson Kaoru: Thank you! I'm glad you think it's wonderful. I hope you like the update.

chakitattyla2h8: It's good to see you again. Thanks for your nice comments on my story. And no…Tomoe isn't bad in this story…she's just misunderstood. Filler…filler…filler…well, some of that "filler" I think is somewhat necessary, though. I don't want to just have the main points…it would make the story a total of ten pages…I like to be subtly direct, I guess. (laugh) No…Kenshin and Kaoru won't wake up in bed together. (grin) That'd be jumping the gun a little. They've only just had their first kiss. The second has to come before they get hot n' heavy. Thanks so much for your review!

Bradybunch4529: Another awesome review. (smile) You always, always make me smile. I'm so happy you like the last chapter so much. I hope you like this update as well!

pego: Damn…what a great review. So long….I love that! Hmm…Kaoru as a construction worker (laugh)…there may be some potential in that. (grin) I've never read A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, though. A couple of my friends have, but for some reason I never did. I might just have to, now… Thanks so much for pointing out some of the other, less important aspects of the story you liked. Very nice of you. Thanks so much for your great review. I'm extremely happy you like so far.

Vic'chonn: Thanks so much for your kind comments. And your mere assumption about Tomoe may be on the right track to some extent…(wink) I'm very happy you like the development of the story as well. Thanks muchly for your review! (smile)

ash211: And I adore your review. (smile) Your review definitely made me feel good and smile as well. Thanks so much for leaving your thoughts. They are very much appreciated.

Kean: Aw…thanks! I'm so glad you like it! Thanks bunches for dropping in your thoughts!

FallenShadow: Thank you very much. I'm so glad you reviewed.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

_**Tendrils of Sunset**_

**Chapter 11**

_"Murmured Revelations"_

* * *

From Chapter 10

_"Is this okay?" he asked, leaning his forehead against hers as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear familiarly._

_Kaoru smiled hesitantly, her eyes brimming with exposed hope. "Oh, yes," she breathed._

_"Good," he replied, pulling her closer to slant his lips over hers for a second time, loosing himself in her taste, scent, the feel of her body against his, and gentle hush of her breath. She smiled against his lips, leaning into his welcome embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist._

* * *

Breaking away from his lips slowly, Kaoru let her fingers slip from Kenshin's shoulder and fall limply to her side as her mind raced with unanswered questions and whirling thoughts of rousing disorder. She could feel the rapid thump of his heart through the thin fabric of his cotton shirt, as well as the small breaths of air he imbibed restively. 

Bringing her knee up and clutching it against her chest, Kaoru leaned over comfortably and laid her head against the solid warmness of Kenshin's shoulder. Sighing and furrowing her eyebrows in thought, she gazed at the trembling oscillations of the lake's dazzling moonlit ripples.

"Have you ever thought of this before?" Kaoru asked softly, her voice carrying a serious, yet timorous undertone. "Kissing me, I mean."

Kenshin reached up a hand to run gently through the alluring wave of raven hair sliding down her back.

"Yes," he answered. "Though I never thought I'd act on those thoughts."

Kaoru lifted her head from his shoulder, a small frown marring her lips. She blinked up at his shadowed face, uncertainty swimming in her gaze.

"So why did you?"

He smiled slightly as he wrapped a stray lock of her hair loosely around his finger, his eyes dipping momentarily to hers. "I'm still trying to decide myself. You seem so coherent with your own feelings. Completely one with yourself, while I feel like a jumbled puzzle - out of place and teetering on the edge of some gaping precipice." Kenshin sighed. "It used to be that the only solid rock in my world, the only thing I was absolutely sure of beyond a shadow of a doubt, was my feelings for you."

He paused, having difficulty expressing his next words. Letting her hair fall from his fingers, Kenshin brushed a feather-light touch along the curve of her jaw. She sent him a questioning look, urging him to continue.

"I can't seem to think straight around you anymore," he whispered. "I'm drowning, and I can't break the surface of this insurmountable feeling pressing down on my chest. And I'm starting to wonder if when I felt this way for Tomoe all those years ago, it was you I was actually dizzy for and not…her."

Utterly speechless, Kaoru thread her fingers through his and swallowed difficulty. "I don't know what to say."

"Good," Kenshin replied heavily, peering down at her flushed features. "I think it's better that way. Besides, I always did like sitting with you, and letting the silence between us talk."

Kaoru's gaze softened and smile spread slowly over her lips. Leaning against him once more, she gazed with him across the water to the winking brilliance of the moon.

Content with silence.

Content with present company.

But still uncertain as to what the future encompassed.

* * *

Digging the heavy shovel into the deep bucket of duck feed, Kaoru quickly dumped a filling amount into an adjacent red pail. Placing the shovel efficiently against the wall and wrapping her fingers around the pail's handle, Kaoru lifted it and tread out of the dark shack into the dreary onset a weepy morning. Brushing stray raindrops from her face, Kaoru unloaded the duck feed into a covered, low trough for feeding. She left the pail beside the trough and hurried up the hill, her mouth pulled in an anxious line. 

"Yahiko!" she shouted as she burst noisily into the house a few moments later. "Yahiko!"

"For crying out loud, what?" he answered irritably, trudging into the kitchen with a scowl.

"I need you to do me a favor," she said over her shoulder as she poured some coffee into a mug with jerky motions.

Yahiko leaned warily against the countertop, a mournful look crossing over his features. "Now what?"

Gulping a generous mouthful of the strong and steamy brew, Kaoru walked past her cousin and into the wide hallway to the sunlit foyer. Placing her mug down on a small oak table in the tiled foyer, Kaoru rummaged through her purse sitting lazily on top. "I need you to run to town and get some supplies for me."

"And how am I going to do that, smart one? I have no form of transportation. You won't trust me with your perfect Land Rover," he replied wryly, his eyebrows drawn together in annoyance.

Kaoru shoved a heavy ring of keys into his unsuspecting hand with a quick smile. "Today's your lucky day. I'm desperate."

Staring at the shiny keys resting in his palm, Yahiko gulped and whipped around as Kaoru disappeared into the den. "Hey, Kaoru! Are you serious?"

Coming to a stop in the doorway, he watched as she unearthed an envelope from underneath a sofa cushion and stuffed the paper into her pocket. She pulled a smaller purple note from the same pocket, her eyes quickly scanning over the contents.

"I need you to get these things from the grocery for me," she said distractively as she tread slowly over to Yahiko. "Unfortunately my parents decided to have a spontaneous visit for tonight and will be having dinner with us. And, obviously, I'm no where near prepared for this visit."

Looking up from the note and into Yahiko's turbulent gaze, Kaoru let a small, understanding smile crease her lips. Patting him lightly on the arm while placing the purple note into his hand, Kaoru sighed. "Don't worry. They aren't judgmental people. You'll like them."

Yahiko rolled his eyes and stuck the keys and note into the front pocket of his baggy jeans, his stance loosening as tension ebbed slowly from his muscles. "Whatever," he muttered.

Kaoru walked past him and grabbed the back of his bright yellow t-shirt, dragging him along with her.

"I'll row us across the water. You just need to drive the car. I'm going to set up everything over at Kenshin's house since my mother expressed her displeasure about traveling across the lake for dinner. Plus, she complained about never seeing Kenshin anymore, and how she wished to eat with him."

Sending his cousin an odd look, Yahiko frowned. "Does Kenshin know about this?"

"No," Kaoru admitted. "But he already told me he doesn't have any plans for tonight, so I don't think he'll mind."

Yahiko locked the front door behind them, and they stepped quickly down the stairs to the murky waves of the sullen lake.

"Not a good day to cross the water," Yahiko observed silently, flicking his gaze to his cousin.

"Yeah, I know. That's another reason why I'm having my mother stay on the mainland. With her bad heart, I don't want her getting overexcited about rough weather and choppy water."

Kaoru untied the small boat from the deck and shoved off after they had both climbed inside. Nervousness fluttered in her stomach as she dipped the oars into the murky water.

* * *

Uneven brushstrokes of semi-circles and lines. Randomly clumped gobs of stark white paint. Slim, jagged cracks formed from weathered days. 

Yep, his ceiling needed to be repaired. Or repainted, at least.

Sighing, Kenshin blinked up at the ceiling of his dimly lit bedroom, distaste marring his usually serene features. Reclining languidly in his bed was certainly a lazy way to start the day, but his limbs felt heavy with involuntary fatigue and his head pounded with an unexpected headache of thoughts. Letting his head sink further down into the plush, feathery surface of his pillow, Kenshin crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.

It had been a turn of unexpected events, to say the least. The last time he had acted out of impulse like last night, he had been at college and had definitely regretted that stupid action. But, that situation had been around different circumstances.

Right now, Kenshin didn't know what to think. Didn't know what to say. And he was having a hell of a time trying to convince his racing mind that he had made a grievous mistake.

But the more he thought on the matter, the more he appreciated his impulsive move of the moment.

And the more he wished he could do it again. But what road would that lead him down?

Opening his eyes to stare at the sloppy paint on his ceiling once more, Kenshin ran a hand over his tired face with a moan. If only he had been able to get more sleep…

He was about to raise his heavy body from the constraining prison of his sheets when he heard the back door open and then slam shut. Frowning, Kenshin shoved back his covers and stalked out his bedroom, his shoulders set in a subtly tense and confrontational manner. Stepping lightly down the laminate floor in the hallway, he stealthily made his way toward the back door.

But he naturally relaxed when his saw it was only Kaoru bumbling her way into his house and not an invasive intruder.

Kaoru?

Crossing his arms over his chest, Kenshin leaned against the maroon wall he stood beside and cleared his throat.

Kaoru turned to face him, a playful smile on her lips and a pleading look dancing uncertainly in her blue gaze. "Hey," she started, wiping the palm of her hand against the leg of her jeans. "You want dinner company tonight?"

"Huh?" he replied stupidly.

Kaoru walked slowly over to him. "My parents are coming tonight and they expressed the need to dine here. In your humble abode."

"Here? Why?"

Kaoru shrugged slightly, her lips sloping in a slight frown. "Mom doesn't want to brave the terrible lake, and Dad doesn't want to get stuck over there because of the storm."

"Okay," Kenshin replied slowly, a wry expression creeping over his features. "What time will they be here?"

"Few hours."

"My house is a mess," he said, motioning behind himself to the disorderly crawl of mess sprawled all over his house.

"I know," Kaoru smiled, albeit a little nervously.

Kenshin pinched the bridge of nose between his thumb and forefinger in mock agitation. "We're going to be cleaning for a while, aren't we?"

"You guessed it, hot shorts," Kaoru replied teasingly, motioning slyly to his colorful choice of nighttime attire. "I see you've traded those pretty floral boxers in for a pair with vibrant pink squiggles.

Spearing her with an annoyed look, Kenshin chose to not reply and turned around. "I'm getting dressed," he mumbled grumpily over his shoulder as he self-consciously tugged at the hem of his t-shirt. "Just start cleaning, Kamiya."

Smiling happily to herself, Kaoru did just that.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to set up a table outside on the deck just in case the weather does clear up?" Kenshin asked two and a half hours later as he carried an armload of laundry down the hall and into the noisy laundry room. 

Kaoru followed him closely and dumped her own load of laundry into an empty blue laundry basket.

"I'm sure. The weather man said it would be drizzling all day on and off," she replied. "I don't want to chance it."

Kenshin nodded in response as he started to quickly sort through the mound of dirty clothes.

Leaving him to load the washer and dryer, Kaoru padded barefoot back down the hall and into the cozy living room. Walking slowly over to the large bay windows, she sighed and placed her hands on her hips.

"It does look rather nice right now, though," she muttered unhappily to herself. "Must be one of those breaks in the weather, I guess."

The overly cheerful tone of her cell phone's ring filled the quiet room. Kaoru tore her gaze from the muted midday weather and pulled her singing phone from her pocket.

"Hello?"

"Kaoru, I can't find this Jell-O crap. I've been all over the store and it's nowhere," Yahiko bit out angrily.

Cocking her head to the side, Kaoru replied, "Did you ask an employee where they put it?"

He snorted. "Of course. They said it was in aisle five. But that's the ladies' aisle."

"Ladies' aisle?"

"Yeah, you know," he said softly. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Feminine products…."

A slow grin spread over her lips. "Ah. And did you check that aisle just in case?"

Her question was met with tense silence.

"Yahiko?"

"No," he hissed. "Last time I checked, the damn Jell-O isn't shelved next to the freaking tampons."

"Right," Kaoru replied in an amused tone. "Well, just get something else to replace that with. I don't have time to make that particular recipe anyways. Why don't you get some instant cookies or something?"

"Fine," he replied tightly, and quickly disconnected the call.

Kaoru shook her head in mock exasperation and pocketed the cell phone again. Turning her gaze back to the lake view, she sighed and placed her forehead against the cool glass of the window. Days like this were not ones she particularly enjoyed. The damp bleakness of the rain usually lessened her joy of the day. Getting soaked while doing chores was never pleasant. Plus when she had been younger, the lake had always been off limits.

"Everything is pretty much done," Kenshin said behind her. "All we have to do is cook the food and set the table."

"Easier said than done," Kaoru replied with a slight frown.

Kenshin walked up beside her and wrapped a hand loosely around her forearm pulling her gently with him as he walked to the side.

"Come on. Let's get some fresh air before it starts raining again. My lungs are congested from all the dust we've unearthed this morning," he said softly over his shoulder as he pulled the sliding door open and led her outside.

Kaoru smiled and walked over to the deck's railing as Kenshin's grip on her forearm slipped. Bracing her elbows on the damp wood, she rested her chin on an upraised palm and watched the subtle play of nature.

"After school gets out tomorrow, and we are free from the faculty meeting, do you want to go horseback riding with me?" he asked.

"We've never done that before," she breathed softly into the brisk air, excitement trembling lightly in her voice.

Kenshin leaned against the railing beside her. "I know," he started slowly. "But, I think it's fitting. Something different for the first step into a…new…part of our relationship."

Kaoru turned to look at his face, her eyes hooded with happy warmth. "I'm already looking forward to it."

Leaning closer to her, he smiled tenderly. Watching her, his eyebrows rose with mild surprise as she straightened and cupped his face in her hands, meeting him halfway in a playful kiss.

Time seemed to stand still in that moment. Sound rumbled in his mind into a disrupted blur, and his sight disappeared as he closed his eyes, welcoming the dark uncertainty. He felt only her. Only Kaoru.

"Well, this is a little awkward," a strange voice said behind them. "Don't you agree, sweetie?"

Kaoru stiffened instantly, and pulled away quickly, placing a hand on the deck railing to steady her suddenly wobbly frame. Her formerly flushed face paled to a remarkably pasty white as her lips parted in disbelief. Beside her, Kenshin shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting between the two people standing in front of him.

A man with shoulder length black hair wearing a pair of loose fitting blue jeans and a button-up pink shirt stood tensely, his handsome face drawn into a befuddled frown. Beside him stood a regal young woman, her hair pulled back into a perfectly neat coiffure secured with a shiny purple clip. She wore a beautifully tailored suit, her slight feet encased in matching heels, while she held a blinking orange cat in her arms.

Kenshin shoved his hands into his pockets. Titling his head to the side in greeting, he smiled tightly. "Tomoe," he uttered softly.

Tomoe sent him an uncertain smile and looked questionably at Kaoru, her eyes filled with hesitation. The cat in her arms meowed, flexing his paws as he wiggled in her tight embrace.

Kaoru cleared her throat nervously, her eyes on the young man beside Tomoe. "What are you doing here?"

The man hesitated a split second, then quickly shoved his indecision from his expression. A smug smile slipping over his lips, one black eyebrow arching in exaggerated question, he brushed a hand through his hair and deftly tucked a shiny lock behind his ear.

"Aren't you happy to see me, Kaoru?" he asked.

Kenshin watched Kaoru struggle with her next words. Stepping in when she floundered nervously, he asked, "How are you two acquainted?"

Cocking his head to side and chuckling to himself, the young man slowly sauntered closer. "She never told you, did she?"

"Told me what?"

Kaoru shook her head slightly, and her lips slimmed in a tight line as she pleaded silently with the young man.

Holding out a hand in greeting, the man grinned, a dimple peeking on his left cheek. "My name's Kamatari. I'm Kaoru's ex-fiancé."

* * *

**Author's Note**: I've always liked Kamatari…he's such a great character. I'm really looking forward to writing him in future chapters… 

A little shorter than I've been writing recently, I admit. Sorry about that. I smashed my fingers in a door at work this weekend so I was a little hesitant to extend the chapter because it hurt to type…and I wanted to update since it's been a while. I hope everyone likes the turn of events. Updates for my other stories should be coming soon.


	12. Conversion

**Author's Note**: Quick update, huh? I decided to go ahead and write this chapter before I started anything else so I wouldn't forget the small details floating around in my mind.

For those who do not know who Kamatari is… He is a member of the Juppongatana (bad guy) in the Kyoto Arc of the series when Kenshin travels to Kyoto to end the crispy Shishio's dastardly plans. Kamatari is a cross-dressing homosexual who is obsessed with making Shishio respect and notice him. And naturally he resents Yumi, Shishio's significant other. That's a poor overview, but it should give you the main idea.

**Reviewer Responses**:

Anonymous miss: A freaking awesome chapter? (big grin) Thank you muchly. I'm glad you enjoyed it that much. And that cliffhanger is a doozy, I agree. Good catch on that pink shirt…and yes…(secretive smile)…Kamatari is gay…But, thanks so much for your review. I'm very happy you liked my plot twist.

person: Well, unexpected is what I was going for, so I'm glad I hit the mark. And, erg, I hate things that are overly sappy. Makes me completely loose interest in what's going on. Don't get me wrong, I love 'waff', but there has to be a middle ground in between sickening lovey dovey and plain indifference. It makes me proud that you think I've reached that middle ground…it's exactly what I was aiming for. And my idea for the plot twist? Uh…I wanted something different. Just different. I hope you like the way I've continued on. More unexpected things are just below these little responses. And, thanks for reviewing again. Thanks mucho mucho much. (wink)

RogueSummersLover: The shortness of the last chapter, I hope, is made up by the longevity of this one and the fact that it's a quick update. I'm so happy you enjoyed the last chapter. Thanks for dropping in and telling me your thoughts.

Brittanie Love: He he he. Great enthusiasm. So funny. (grin) I'm glad you're liking the twist. And I'm updating soon, too! Yay! Thanks so much for reviewing.

ixchen: (laugh) Yes, I surprised myself when I came up with the idea. I hope you like the update. Thanks for reviewing!

Fallen Shadow: It's getting interesting, huh? Well, that's good. (grin) I'm happy you're enjoying the story. Thanks bunches for reviewing!

MZ. AMbER EYES: Oh, yes…Kenshin will feel the most of the insecurities. I agree Kaoru's put herself through enough, the silly girl. I'm going to have fun playing around his reactions and…other things…(nod) Glad you're enjoying it. You plan on updating your own story anytime soon? I'm very curious as to what will happen in it. (nudge nudge…grin) Anywho, thanks so much for reviewing! (smile)

Neko-Yuff16: Aw…you don't know who Kamatari is? Poor thing…I put a little paragraph briefly explaining who he is under my first author's note just for you and others that are equally confused. But, I'm glad you liked the last chapter anyways. Thanks so much for your kind review!

La Magdalena: Nice guesses…though you'll have to read below to find out if they are correct. (grin) And my fingers are feeling quite well now…that's very kind of you mention. I hope you enjoy the update. Thanks so much for your review.

gabyhyatt: (nods) Yes. Kamatari is gay. Read on to see how that works out…(wink)

De Lazy Lime: You're right! That was rather rude of them just barging in uninvited. (shakes head) People have no manners these days…(laugh) You're so funny. Thanks so much for the great review. Hope you enjoy this update.

Kean: I just love how you began your review…(laugh)…Good Lord! That would have been interesting it had been Akira instead of Kamatari. (nods) What an interesting idea…And the plot intensifies more with this update. I hope you like it! Thanks so much for reviewing again!

JBella: Well she had to come back sometime, right? Why not now…(laugh) It is a funny mental image….Yahiko slithering down the 'ladies aisle' with a somewhat red face. You're others fears will hopefully be answered in this rambling chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks so much for telling me what you thought again!

fallen-angel21: My finger feels great. Thanks so much for asking. I'm very happy you're enjoying the story, and thanks muchly for your nice compliments on my writing. They are very much appreciated!

pinkcarr: Unfortunately Tomoe will be in this chapter as well. Not very much, but she's still poking in her little head. (sigh) Thanks for your review. I'm very glad you liked the last chapter.

paisita: Who ever said Kamatari was a straight man? (evil laughter) Ah, sorry 'bout that. Thanks so much for your review! I hope you like this update as much as the last. (smile)

Vic'chonn: My suspense has you up against the wall? Ooo, goody. I'm glad you're getting into the story. The suspense was getting to me as well…which is why this is such a fast update. I couldn't stop myself from writing. I hope you like the update! Thanks so much reviewing! (smile)

Strawberry'd: I like your name change. (nods) Anyways, the dinner is in this chapter, an explanation of why Kamatari and Tomoe are there is also in this chapter. And Yahiko will bravely return from the grocery store unscathed. Dun, dun ,dun…(laugh) I hope you like the way things turned out in this update. Thanks so much for reviewing!

Lendra-chan: (laugh) Oh, yeah…it probably will take some years off Kenshin's life. Defintely not something he thought he'd ever hear. And you're logic could be true. Guess you'll have to read and find out. (wink) I hope you're toe is okay…I hate it when I stub mine. I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter though. Thanks muchly for your review.

animegurl23: I agree…Kamatari does rule! So much enthusiasm. I love it! Thanks so much for the great and humorous review. I'm very, very glad you adored the chapter.

Tree: Thanks so much your review. Here's the update!

Wolfie-chan18: Here's the update. (grin) The suspense will finally be relieved. You're very adamant on your hate for Tomoe, aren't you? (laugh) Unfortunately, she will not be dying, though. I'm sorry. (wink) I hope you like the update! Thanks for your review.

Aine of Knockaine: My feelings exactly. Had to get something in there to create some conflict. I'm glad you liked the twist. Thanks so much for reviewing!

Stardust Angel2: (burst out laughing) I hate it when it doesn't keep scrolling down when you want it! So irritating. Here's the update. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the funny review.

Hanako110: I hate reading cliffhangers, though I find them extremely fun to write. Go figure. (laugh) Very astute guess on how Kenshin will react. There will be no sudden temper tantrum…though that would be somewhat funny, though definitely out of character. Here's the next update. Hope it was fast enough! Thanks so much for your review!

cali: Thanks so much for your lovely compliments. I so happy you find that the story keeps getting better and better. I'm very glad you reviewed! Thanks muchly.

Megumi Readman: Nothing bugs me more than having my computer out for the count. I'm glad you have it working properly again. Hopefully it won't act no funny no more, huh? I'm glad I'm keeping you on your toes. Thanks so much for you review!

Ange Noir: Oh, I love the word: goshness. I'll have to remember that. (laugh) Kamatari's one of my favorite characters as well. It's a shame that people tend to forget him. He's in the majority of this chapter, so you'll get see his personality (my version of it that is) shine. I'm glad you liked the vampire fic as well. I have an idea for the next chapter, the question is when I'll get the chance to write it. Erg. Thanks for your review! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Bradybunch4529: Oh, yes, I love throwing in twists. With the response to this one, I'm thinking about putting in more…but I'm currently at a loss at what to twist with. (laugh) So there probably won't be another. And that sameness in their relationship as they're moving in a different direction is an important aspect of their feelings for one another…I'm glad you like that part. I hope you enjoy the update. Thanks so much for your very welcome thoughts.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

_**Tendrils of Sunset**_

**Chapter 12**

_"Conversion"_

Silence hung heavily in the damp air at the astonishing proclamation. Kenshin seemed momentarily rooted to the deck, his eyes glazed over with an icy shock while his hands slightly tightened into loose fists. Beside him, Kaoru hissed out an exasperated breath, her pale cheeks quickly flooding a cherry red.

Kamatari's hand remained suspended in friendly greeting, his self-satisfied smile perfectly in place as his eyes flashed with obvious amusement. Sense seemed to trickle slowly into Kenshin's dulled mind processes, making him blink. Absently, he raised his own hand to politely shake Kamatari's hand unenthusiastically as his eyebrows drew together in a contemplative frown.

"I'm sorry. Did I hear you right? Kaoru's ex-fiancé?" Kenshin asked slowly, his eyes scanning the younger man's schooled features.

Kamatari grinned lazily and turned his hooded gaze to Kaoru. "Yes. You heard correctly."

Kaoru clenched her teeth together as their eyes locked, her hair whipping against her cheek from the sudden burst of wind sweeping through the thick air. Kenshin watched the slight play of emotions on her revealing face, his stomach churning queasily with perplexity.

Tomoe shifted her tense stance and hesitantly stepped forward. "Can I speak with you for a moment inside, Kenshin?"

Kenshin opened and closed his mouth, his obvious wish to remain on the deck plainly written on his uncertain face, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Tomoe struggle to maintain her hold on the overweight orange tabby cat wiggling anxiously in her arms. Stepping over to her, he offered a small, distracted smile and slid open the glass door.

"Sure," he replied, glancing momentarily over his shoulder at Kaoru who leaned weakly against the deck railing, her arms encircling her stomach. Sighing, he motioned Tomoe inside the house.

"Nice woman, huh?" Kamatari started politely as the door closed behind the two. "Her car broke down a little ways down the road and I picked her up. Funny how we were both going to the same place, huh?" He smiled and shrugged slightly before gazing back at Kaoru. His smile wavered, however, when he caught a glimpse of her expression as she roughly grabbed his wrist and yanked him away from the revealing view of the windows. Her eyes flashed with pent-up anger while her lips drew into a tight line of agitated annoyance.

"What are you thinking?" she asked him in a somewhat desperate, yet seething tone. "Have you finally lost your marbles?"

Kamatari wiggled his wrist from her bruising grip and rubbed a hand over his now tender flesh. Frowning at her, he rolled his eyes upward in mild exasperation and sighed softly. "And here I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"There is such a thing as a telephone. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Kaoru asked in a low voice, her hands clenching in small fists.

Brushing a hand down the front of his shirt to sooth tiny wrinkles on the pink fabric, Kamatari shrugged. "I didn't know the number. But, I always showed up spontaneously at your London flat and everywhere else for that matter. How is this any different?"

Groaning to herself, Kaoru turned sideways and slumped against the outer wall of the house. Anger slowly dissipated from her limbs. "You just had to show up now, didn't you?"

"Today, tomorrow…next week. It's all the same to me," he replied.

"That's because you're unemployed."

"I'd like to call it 'on a break'."

"Of course you would," Kaoru responded with a grimace. "And what's this crap about being your ex-fiancé? That's news to me."

He gave her an odd look. "But we were."

"Not really."

Kamatari leaned against the wall facing her, his eyebrows raised in question. "Our engagement may have only lasted for an hour, but I still think it counts."

Kaoru humphed softly, her eyes spearing him with a wry expression. "Yes, that's true. But that was a ruse, you absentminded dork," she muttered with a small smile. "I was _pretending_ to be engaged to you to help you shake an over amorous love interest who wouldn't stop pestering you."

Kamatari grinned. "Best hour of my life," he teased with a wink. "But, okay. Fine. Although, don't forget we _were_ actually romantically involved for a few months there."

Humming to herself and nodding, Kaoru tapped her chin with her forefinger, "And that was before I knew you were gay."

"Bisexual," he corrected.

"Gay."

"Bisexual."

"Same difference."

Kamatari raised a black eyebrow and nudged her in the side. "No, it's not."

"I don't see how you can call yourself bisexual when I'm the only woman you've ever dated," Kaoru countered derisively.

"You should be flattered," he replied as he ran his fingers through his hair to comb out imaginary tangles. "It means you're irresistible."

"Or just plain manly."

Kamatari burst out laughing and slung a friendly arm around her shoulders. "Shut up. You know that's not true. Though, I will admit when I first saw you, I did think you were a boy. Your hair was tucked up underneath a baseball cap, your face pressed against the viewfinder of your latest camera."

"If you're trying to flatter me, stop while you're ahead. I'd hate to see a black eye marring your pretty face," Kaoru replied with fake sweetness.

Chuckling, Kamatari patted the top of her head in a brotherly manner and stepped away from her, his eyes tracing the unfamiliar waves of the lake. "It's as beautiful as you said it was," he told her softly over his shoulder. "I can see why you wanted to come back." He paused for a moment, then turned to peer at Kaoru's shaded visage. "So who was that guy?"

Kaoru started to reply, but was cut off when Kenshin pulled open the door and stepped halfway outside, forcing a strained smile.

"I'm going to help Tomoe with her car. It broke down a little bit down the road. I should be back by the time your parents get here. Yahiko just got back from the store. Do you think you can handle the cooking?"

Kamatari flashed an arrogant smile and crossed his arms over his chest. "I was born to cook, honey."

"Uh, well okay, then," Kenshin managed awkwardly. "I'll be back soon, Kaoru," he told her as he closed the door reluctantly with a small frown.

"He doesn't want to leave you here with me, does he?" Kamatari asked with an amused smile.

"No," Kaoru replied.

"So who is he?"

"That would be Kenshin."

Kamatari's eyebrows rose and he let a low whistle. "_The_ Kenshin, huh? You weren't lying when you said he was good-looking, huh?"

"No."

He snapped his fingers and sent her an enthusiastic grin. "And you were kissing him! Does this mean things are working out?"

"We were doing splendidly until my _fake ex-fiancé_ pranced in," she replied sarcastically, giving him a pointed look.

Kamatari's grin slipped as he cringed slightly, his mouthing curling a little in distaste. "I thought I was doing you a favor. You didn't mind that one time I stretched the truth with the guy named Alfonzo."

"Well, Alfonzo was a scary, scary man."

Nodding in agreement, Kamatari replied, "True."

Kaoru sighed and patted him lightly on the arm. "Don't worry about it. I'll talk to him later. Besides, we better start cooking if I plan to have any kind of meal ready for my parents."

Kamatari watched as Kaoru opened the door and stepped inside, motioning for him to follow. As they walked through the newly cleaned house, Kamatari peered at Kaoru's back with uncertainty. She had definitely changed since the last time he saw her. And he wouldn't count that as a bad change either. Her shoulders seemed sloped in a more confident manner while her eyes sparkled with an excitement that he hadn't seen in years. Something had definitely happened that agreed with her, Kamatari deduced.

Stepping into the bright kitchen, Kamatari let his eyes wander, taking in the deep green walls, marble countertops and smooth oak table nestled in a windowed nook in the corner of the medium sized room. Standing in the open doorway of the refrigerator, concentration ingrained in his expression, a teenage boy pushed aside a block of cheese and removed a half-empty gallon of milk. When he noticed the strange man who followed Kaoru into the kitchen, his eyebrows rose in surprise as his mouth curled with suspicion.

"Who's the pansy?" the teenager blurted out, questioning Kaoru.

"Yahiko," Kaoru admonished with a frown.

Yahiko frowned, his eyes still riveted to Kamatari. Especially the bright pink shirt he wore. "Who are you?" he asked more directly.

"I'm Kamatari. Kaoru's ex- "

"Kamatari!" Kaoru exclaimed with an amazed look.

Brushing her off with a wave of his hand, Kamatari corrected himself. "I'm Kaoru's old traveling partner."

"What the hell's a traveling partner?" Yahiko asked as he took the red cap off of the plastic milk jug.

"I'm a photographer as well," he elaborated. "Kaoru and I used to travel together around Europe looking for great photo opportunities."

Slanting Kaoru an odd look, Yahiko shook his head as poured some milk into a green glass. "Why'd you hang out with him?"

Kaoru grabbed a glass and mimicked Yahiko's movements. "Believe it or not, he's handy to have in sticky situations."

Kamatari flashed her a pleased smile as he leaned comfortably against he countertop. "Thanks, honey."

"Honey?" Yahiko asked. "You _are_ gay, aren't you?"

"Astute observation, young man. Though I like to call it bisexual."

Yahiko's lips curled in mild distaste. "That's odd."

"True. But, I've never followed society's common train of thought. I like to think of myself as somewhat rebellious," Kamatari responded with a shrug.

Yahiko nodded slowly. "Okay. I buy that. But why are you here?"

"Visiting our dear Kaoru, of course."

"I don't see why you'd want to do that…."

"Yahiko," Kaoru warned softly.

Kamatari chuckled. "Well, she left Italy in quite a rush, and I wanted to make sure she was okay. I couldn't get away till now," he explained. "But, now I see she's getting along just fine. Especially with that Kenshin…kissing him and all."

Yahiko choked on the milk, setting his glass down with a loud thump and turning wide eyes to Kaoru.

Kaoru's eyes narrowed as she glared at Kamatari and stuck her hands on her hips. "You just don't know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?"

Kamatari grinned innocently and slipped his hands into his jean pockets.

"You were kissing Kenshin?" Yahiko finally asked as he caught his breath.

"Yes, but we're not going into that," Kaoru told her cousin tersely. "We have other stuff to worry about at the moment."

Grumbling to himself, Yahiko moved away from the counter and went to the bags of groceries he had placed on top of the kitchen table. As he started to pull out the miscellaneous items, he snuck a quick glance at his cousin's face and caught her shooting Kamatari a dirty look. She said something to him that made him chuckle and run a hand through his hair almost self-consciously.

"Kaoru how is all this stuff supposed to make anything?" Yahiko asked as he pulled the ingredients from the grocery bag. "They're all so random."

Walking over to him with a frown on her face, Kaoru quickly scanned the items he had laid out on the table. "Er," she started. "Is this what I wrote down on that paper?"

Yahiko stuffed the paper into her hands. He watched as she sighed heavily and cast the groceries a dejected look.

"I guess I copied down ingredients from multiple recipes by accident," Kaoru replied with a sullen look.

Kamatari sauntered over and thumbed through the food products. "Looks like the only thing edible in this mess of stuff are these cookies," he said holding up the blue package of chocolate chip cookies. He stepped away from Kaoru and Yahiko to walk over to the line of cabinets above the counter. Opening the doors, he started to pull out some boxes and jars of spices.

"I think I can salvage it, though. Do you know where the cooking utensils are?" he asked Kaoru over his shoulder.

"Yeah."

"Well, then lets get to work."

* * *

Hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel, Kenshin stared through the clouded windshield of his car as he drove down the road. Tomoe sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her eyes darting hesitantly to Kenshin's profile. She trailed a finger along the armrest attached to the passenger side door and turned her gaze away to peer out the window of the car. 

"I have Oscar's cat food in my car," Tomoe said softly.

Kenshin's grip relaxed on the steering wheel as looked over at Tomoe. "Are you still feeding him Science Diet? Or something else?"

"It's the same," she replied with a small smile. "I want to thank you for watching over him while I'm out of town on business. It's a relief to know he'll be in good hands," she told him.

Kenshin pulled over off the road behind the solitary form of Tomoe's dead car. "It's no problem. He's half my cat anyways," Kenshin replied with a genuine smile as he unclipped his seat-belt and opened the door of the car. Tomoe followed suit, stepping lightly out of the car and deftly avoiding the small mud puddle adjacent to the car wheel.

"It isn't anything mechanical, I think. It might just be the gas. I meant to stop somewhere along the way, but I guess I got distracted and completely forgot to stop," Tomoe said with a brief laugh.

"I have an extra gallon in my trunk in case that turns out to be the problem. Do you want to check the gauge first to make sure?" Kenshin asked as he waited for her to unlock the car door. She quickly pulled open the door, stuck her head inside to take a quick look at the dashboard, and nodded slowly, her face turning a pale shade of pink.

"Yeah, that's the problem," she uttered sheepishly. "So silly of me."

Kenshin smiled quickly and retrieved the red gallon container filled with gasoline from the trunk of his car. With her assistance, he carefully poured the small amount into her tank.

Setting the container down on the asphalt of the emergency lane the car was parked in, Kenshin rubbed his hands against the fabric of his worn jeans. "That should do it. You should be able to make it to the gas station up the road easily to completely fill the tank."

Tomoe sighed in relief, her mouth curving into a thankful smile. Tilting her head to the side, she gazed at Kenshin's face, her eyes taking in the subtle difference in expression from when she'd seen him last in those few weeks after their divorce finally went through. The occasional talks on the telephone they had in the past months had gradually opened her mind to his subtle change as well.

"You seem happy, Kenshin," she observed as she clasped her hands in front of her, the wind brushing gently through slim tendrils of her dark hair.

Leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest comfortably, Kenshin sighed and nodded his head slowly in a confirmatory motion. His violet gaze softened as he carefully studied the familiar lines of her face, admiring the healthy glow she exuded. "I am," he replied languidly. "You seem to doing well, too."

"Being single again is a new experience. One I'm enjoying quite a bit," she responded with a curve of her lips. "I don't plan on dating anytime soon. I'm going to try and get settled with my new job and the new city a little longer." Sighing, she placed a hand on the top of the open driver door of her car. "I was surprised when I saw you with Kaoru this afternoon."

Kenshin chuckled softly, his eyes sparkling with muted mischief. "Believe me. I'm sure that I'm more surprised with that turn of events than you."

Tomoe smiled in return, her eyes crinkling. "Well, I think she fits rather nicely into your life. She always has, and I believe she always will. Some way or the other."

Nodding, Kenshin leaned over to kiss her chastely on her cheek in a motion of polite friendliness. "I'll see you next week when you pick up Oscar."

"Alright. Bye, Kenshin," she responded as she slipped behind the steering wheel of her compact car and closed the door. Turning over the ignition, she put the car into gear and slowly pulled away.

* * *

An hour after they began their perilous mission, Kamatari untied the frilly blue apron from around his waist and leaned against the countertop wearily, a tired sigh escaping form his lips. Flashing a lazy grin at Kaoru, he leaned forward and braced his elbows on top of the marble counter. 

"Done," he said softly with a wink, cocking his head to the side. Casting a superior look over in Yahiko's direction, he chuckled when the boy rolled his eyes and stalked out the room, a moody expression clouding his features.

"I think he likes you," Kaoru observed silently, her eyes smiling at her friend.

"How so?" Kamatari replied, turning to look at her as she sat down at the kitchen table with a contented sigh, stretching her aching limbs.

"Well, he talked to you for starters. If he didn't like you, he wouldn't have said anything to you. He believes the worst punishment is silence," she said.

Kamatari reached up and pulled his hair back into a sleek ponytail with a purple hair band he unearthed from his pocket. Lowering his sleeves from their rolled up position which had enabled him freer movements while cooking, he tread slowly over the table Kaoru sat at and settled down into a chair beside hers.

"Well, that's a relief," he teased with a calm smile, stretching his legs out and crossing his ankles. Casting a quick glance over at the operating oven, he absently rubbed a hand against the back of his neck tiredly. "You owe me for that monstrosity cooking in the oven."

"Like every other time I owed you for bailing my fat out of the fire?" she asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. "Funny. I must have just imagined the countless times it was me pulling you out of a nasty fix and not the other way around."

Mumbling something inaudible under his breath, Kamatari shook his head slowly. "Whatever. Count this as my debt repaid, then."

"Do this ten more times and _then_ I'll count your debt repaid," she replied with a predatory glint in her eye.

They sat at the table for a few moments, eyes locked, and expressions grim. That's how Kaoru's parents found them when they burst into the kitchen, big smiles and cheerful laughter accompanying their abrupt arrival. Kaoru immediately stood up, the combative look erased from her features as her eyes curled with laughter and her lips exclaimed happy greetings. Of course, they instantly started inquiring about the stranger in Kenshin's kitchen, being mollified when Kaoru explained that he was the poor man she drug ruthlessly around Europe for spectacular photo opportunities. Kamatari had their immediate sympathy, naturally.

Their welcoming of Kenshin when he finally returned alone was enthusiastic as well, bombarding him with numerous personal questions he answered politely, darting a quick look over to Kaoru when they asked if he was seeing anyone. His answer was a hesitant and secretive 'yes' that he refused to elaborate on. Dinner passed quickly. Yahiko was a little shell-shocked from the unexpected attention his aunt and uncle showered on him. Kamatari made wise cracks causing Kaoru to watch him nervously, expecting a slip of the tongue. Kenshin observed their exchanges somewhat covertly, and managed to outwardly have some sort of normal interaction with his 'extended family' as his mind continue to topple a little dizzily, his comprehension of the whole situation a little dull.

By the time Kaoru's parents left, Kaoru felt ready to go home and crash in the comforting and familiar embrace of her beloved bed. Her head ached, her feet ached, and even her eyes ached. As she gathered the dirty plates from the now messy dining room table with Yahiko's help, she saw Kamatari intercept a still befuddled Kenshin out of the corner of her eye. Kaoru's heart rate accelerated as they exchanged a few short sentences and Kenshin lead the other man outside.

"Damnit," she said with a tense frown, her fingers loosening on the partially full wine glass she held.

Quickly grabbing the glass from her before she dropped it, Yahiko set it down on the table with a hushed thump while giving his cousin an odd glance. "What are you cursing about now?" he asked.

Kaoru leaned forward and started to tap her fingers agitatedly against the top of the table. "Not good," she muttered as she watched them head down to the dock and disappear from her line of sight.

"Kaoru?" Yahiko asked, completely confused.

Straightening abruptly, she brushed past him and hurried to the back door, her bare feet slapping on the wooden floors.

"Eavesdropping is never a good idea," Yahiko yelled after her.

"Hypocrite," she responded over her shoulder as she opened the door and stepped into the blanketed darkness of the cloudy night.

Shivering against the slivers of cold wind brushing against the exposed skin of her arms and legs, Kaoru crossed her arms quickly to ward off the irritating chill and started to stealthily pick her way through the heavy coverage of foliage in the most covert manner she was able to.

* * *

"How long were you engaged?" Kenshin asked softly, his eyes averted to the dark, lapping waves of the shadowed lake. 

Kamatari shrugged slightly. "Not long," he answered cryptically, mentally working up a way to cleverly cover up the little white lie he had performed brilliantly that morning. "There were difficulties we couldn't work out."

"Like what?" Kenshin asked bluntly, turning his gaze to study Kamatari's expression.

"Uh, like the fact that she walked in on me…in bed with another man," Kamatari revealed sheepishly. "Not one of the finer moments of my life." In fact, that was the actual truth. Though they hadn't been engaged and only dating at the time, that little instance was how Kaoru found out about Kamatari's penchant to lean toward the male end of the dating phenomenon.

Kenshin's eyes widened a little, caught off guard. Kamatari decided to give the poor guy a break and started to explain a little further. "It never would have worked out at that time anyways. Too many differences. Plus we were always butting heads in the darkroom we unfortunately shared, always arguing about personal space, chemical mixtures…what photo belonged to whom."

"How did Kaoru handle your…uh…indiscretion?" Kenshin asked uncomfortably, though his eyes narrowed with a protective glint. Damned if the man wasn't ready to protect Kaoru's honor years after the actual incident. Mentally, Kamatari couldn't help but grin.

"She refused to talk to me for a week. Then she finally decided it was better to be in a somewhat more compromising situation since we had to deal with each other on a constant basis. Soon, it was just a bad memory we chose to ignore and put behind us to preserve a friendship. That was two years ago."

Kenshin nodded slowly, his expression shuttered. Observing the lack of emotion on his face, Kamatari couldn't help but wonder what was going on in that whirling mind. From his slant on the relationship between Kaoru and this odd redhead, he pictured things as slow moving, pretty hesitant and somewhat delicate. What the red-haired man needed was a subtle push in the right direction to speed things up and make him realize that Kaoru had been practically waiting her entire life for him to realize her deep feelings. Pretty soon, if things continued in their lackadaisical pace, Kenshin would be a feeble, senile old man before he took the initiative to propose marriage if their relationship managed to evolve to that point.

Suddenly, Kamatari knew why he had had the urge to visit his 'ole friend, Kaoru. It was all suddenly so perfectly clear in his mind's eye.

"But I've come to win her back," Kamatari announced loudly as he tried to dampen the mischievous glint in his eyes. Darting a quick look over at the foliage to his left, he frowned slightly when he heard a muted crash amidst some fluttering tree branches. "Men, I've realized, are not the thing for me. I…love women," he finished lamely, distracted by the unsubtle wave of leaves off to the side.

Kenshin didn't seem to notice to distracting noise, his eyes frozen on the now haughty expression on Kamatari's face. "And what makes you think she'd want you back?"

"Oh, I have a few things up my sleeve," he answered with a flip of the hand. "I'm somewhat of a crafty person."

A competitive amber flash glimmered in Kenshin's eyes as he crossed his arms slowly over his chest. "What if I told you she's already involved with me? And I don't intent to let you touch her. Anywhere."

Smiling saucily, Kamatari shrugged innocently. "Guess I've got my competition cut out for me."

At the foot of the dock, Yahiko came into view, his expression troubled. He looked at the diverse expressions on the two men's faces, his stance a little hesitant.

"Kenshin, your dish washer is going crazy. I don't know how to shut it off," he called out.

Kenshin sighed, breaking eye contact with Kamatari. "I'm coming, Yahiko," he answered wearily and started to trek down the wooden dock, his footsteps heavy. The second both were out of sight, a disheveled young woman burst from the tree line, mud covering her legs, hair tangled and dirty, eyes flashing wildly with something that resembled blind panic. Kaoru was gasping for breath when she stumbled to halt beside the stupidly grinning Kamatari.

"You're insane. Absolutely insane," she managed in between deep gasps of air. "I think I really hate you now."

"But did you see the way he reacted?" Kamatari asked happily, his eyes dancing. "He got all serious and threatening on me."

"Of course he did. He almost beat the crap out of some kid in high school when he groped me. Think of what he wants to do with you now that he knows a bisexual man is after me and has already cheated on me once!" she burst out, her mouth trembling. She reached up, grasped his arms tightly and leaned in. "And I don't think I'll wait for him to kill you. I just might do it myself."

Shaking his head, Kamatari replied, "I can take care of myself."

"Not against Kenshin."

"We'll see," he responded. Grasping her chin gently, Kamatari tilted her head upward so her turbulent blue gaze clashed with his. "Just give me one week. That's all. Then you can tell him the truth."

"I don't like lying to him," she uttered, shaking her head.

"I'll be the one doing most of the lying, honey. I think I can really help."

"Nothing good will come of it," she told him, frowning.

"That's where I disagree."

Kaoru slumped a little, some of the fight disserting her. "If you completely screw things up, I'll come after you."

Kamatari grinned and patted her cheek softly. "I know."

Stepping away from him, she sighed and bit her lip. "I better go and do some mild damage control. It would probably best if you just went over to my island for the night and disappeared." Turning, she started to walk away, her steps a little hurried.

"How am I supposed to get there?" he called.

"Swim. Be inventive," she shouted over her shoulder, a smile evident in her voice. Kamatari watched her go with fond eyes, his mouth slowly curving into an excited smile. It looked like he was going to have a fun week.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Not exactly what you expected? Good. Bwhahaha…this is going to beinteresting to write. 

Make sure to tell me what you think! Review, review, review.


	13. Musings

**Author's Note**: My apologies for the great delay. Life seems to throw curve balls at you when you least expect it, deterring you from things that would normally have been done, which is what exactly happened in my case. I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter. It was fun getting back into the groove of writing, and hopefully updates won't take so long anymore. This chapter is a tad short, but I promise to make the next few longer. Make sure to leave reviews on what you think of the chapter. Thanks so much for the positive things you guys said about the last chapter! I appreciate your thoughts very, very much. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

**Tendrils of Sunset**

Chapter 13

_"Musings"_

Yahiko stumbled wearily into the kitchen, his feet dragging sluggishly against the tiled floor. He groaned as the bright light streaming through the large windows hit his sensitive eyes and rubbed a hand against his warm forehead. Reaching out blindly, he grabbed the back of one of the chairs at the kitchen table and slumped into it, leaning heavily against the edge of the table.

"Getting to sleep earlier may help you wake up more easily," Kamatari remarked from behind him as he walked into the room.

Yahiko grunted in response to rebuke the older man's unwelcome statement and laid his head down on the table.

"You don't need to worry about being poisoned this morning. I plan on cooking," Kamatari continued when Yahiko remained mute. Yahiko heard the clank of pans being moved around as Kamatari searched through the unfamiliar cabinets, looking for ingredients and utensils to make breakfast with. He rummaged around for a few minutes, slowly finding what he needed. Turning to the refrigerator, he pulled out the egg carton and removed some large eggs. "Kaoru's locked herself in the dark room and refuses to come out. So I'm not sure if she'll be joining us."

"I don't care," Yahiko mumbled against the tabletop, his nose pressed against the cool wood. "She'll probably spend the whole day in there."

"Is that wishful thinking?" he heard Kaoru say from behind him, amusement apparent in the tone of her voice.

Yahiko looked up confused, squinting at her figure standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "But, he said -"

She smiled sweetly and cast an annoyed glare in Kamatari's direction. "You'll learn to distrust his words. He's not known for his honesty."

Yahiko shifted his bleary gaze from his cousin to the man standing in front of the stove, then grimaced and uttered a sound of distaste. "Ah, man. Do you have to cook in your boxers? At least Kaoru wears clothes when she's preparing to murder us all with her food."

Kamatari turned to face Yahiko and Kaoru, and wide grin split his face. "I told you she was in the dark room! I wasn't lying," he said, pointing at the stained black apron she wore over her forest green pajamas.

"Don't change the subject," Yahiko burst out, turning his gaze away from the older man. "I'm not gay and I'm not a girl, so I'm not enjoying the view."

Kaoru watched with hooded amusement as Kamatari laid down his plastic spatula carefully, his eyes narrowed. "Okay, okay. If these eggs burn, you still have to eat them," he said pointing to the simmering scrambled eggs cooking in the hot frying pan on the stove.

"Just put on some clothes, please," Yahiko muttered as Kamatari sauntered past him, watching him as he winked at Kaoru and left the kitchen.

Pushing back his chair noisily, Yahiko stood up from the table and moved over to the stove to turn down the heat while their flamboyant cook was absent. The last thing they needed was to burn down the house.

Kaoru shuffled over to the coffee pot on the left, reaching above her head to pluck a large orange mug off the shelf. While pouring the steaming coffee into the mug, she turned her head in Yahiko's direction, one eyebrow raised.

"You seem awfully lazy this morning," she commented lightly, brushing her bangs from her eyes with a slight tilt of her head.

He gave her a disgruntled glare before stalking back to the table. "You'd be like this if you'd stayed and helped Kenshin fix his damn dish washer. The stupid thing wouldn't stop spewing water all over the kitchen. It took us forever to patch the thing. He just needs to get a new one."

"Well, if it still works even partially he won't even consider wasting money on a new appliance to replace it," Kaoru replied sourly as she placed her coffee mug on the counter and moved to the refrigerator to get some cream.

"So I found out," he grumbled. "I didn't get to sleep till 3:00 am this morning. What's worse is that I was awakened by our fluttering peacock as he showered at the crack of dawn. Has he always belted out off tune songs while in the shower?" Yahiko shuddered as he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his palm.

Kaoru chuckled. "Yeah."

Yahiko groaned. "Why does my bedroom have to be next to the bathroom."

Once she had fixed the coffee to her particular taste, Kaoru took a hesitant sip, careful not to burn her tongue. She looked up as Kamatari emerged, now wearing a sleeveless t-shirt as well as his boxers.

"You couldn't put on any pants? Do you not own any?" Yahiko asked sarcastically as Kamatari went straight to the stove to nurse his cooking eggs.

"Didn't feel like it."

"Of course not."

Walking away from the bickering pair, Kaoru silently left the kitchen and headed down the hallway and small flight of stairs to the open door of her dark room. Flipping on the light, she moved to wall where she'd hung up the photos she had developed earlier that morning. Trying to decide which ones she would keep and show to the company who planned on publishing the book with her photography in it, she pulled a stool out from under the countertop and sat down, sipping her coffee as she studied. Out of the thirty photos, only five were photos she felt particularly proud of. Making a mental note, she memorized which she liked best, picking out the particular strong points of each of the five.

There was a loud ruckus down the hall as she heard a door slam, amused laughter, and footsteps coming her way. Turning her gaze to the open doorway, she smiled slightly when Kamatari strode in, a plate of scrambled eggs in one hand and glass of orange juice in the other.

"You know it's not a good idea to eat in this room because of the chemicals," she teased as he stopped beside her, placed the glass down and started to shovel the steaming eggs into his mouth with a fork.

Rolling his eyes, he motioned toward her own mug of coffee. Swallowing the food, he shook his head. "Don't be talking, hypocrite."

Kaoru grinned in response. She watched as he turned his concentration to photo wall.

"So did you develop my roll of film again? I told you not the get them mixed up," he started in an argumentative tone as he studied the photos she had developed.

"We're not going to start this ridiculous argument again, are we? Quit being an idiot. We both know perfectly well that this is my film. You haven't unpacked your equipment, yet," she responded sardonically, raising an eyebrow and pursing her lips.

Leaning closer to the photos, he squinted. "Oh, right. I could have done much better with that landscape. Didn't you learn anything from me, Kaoru?"

She reached out and jammed her thumb into his stomach with a vengeful glare in her blue gaze. "The only thing you taught me was how to hold my liquor, and that has nothing to do with photography."

He laughed suddenly as if remembering, his eyes lighting up with sudden humor. "Oh, right!"

"Moron."

"Sticks and stones, Kaoru. Sticks and stones."

* * *

Kenshin's morning was mild compared to the argument filled, insult driven antics across the lake. He woke up from sleeping in an awkward position, his neck cramped slightly. The massaging spray of the shower refreshed him, not only helping to wake up his body, but his sluggish mind as well.

Leaving his bedroom, he headed toward the kitchen, the large orange cat that had been dropped off by Tomoe the previous day following close on his heels, hunger apparent by his loud yowls and clinginess. Once in the kitchen, Kenshin grabbed a small, colorful can of wet cat food, popping the top and putting the moist, smelly food into Oscar's turquoise food bowl.

"I'll give you some dry food tonight, buddy," he said softly, running a hand down the soft curve of the cat's back, scratching him through the thick, push orange fur. Oscar purred, rubbing contently against Kenshin before moving to his bowl and burying his whiskered face in the delicious food.

Kenshin stood, and moved over to the counter to start the coffee machine. Once started, he turned and stepped over to stand in front of the sliding glass door to admire the gentle of morning. As he watched the vibrant flutters of a red-breasted hummingbird as it drank nectar from a feeder right outside the door, Kenshin sighed. Despite the soothing trickle of dawn, Kenshin couldn't help but recognize the turmoil twisting in his gut. He wasn't sure what he was surprised about more: the fact that Kaoru had been engaged, or the fact that her gay, former fiancée had come to win her back.

Though the fact that she had been engaged was somewhat shocking, he had to admit they hadn't talked even talked about the weather in the past couple of years, much less their personal lives. Kenshin took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was still trying to figure out if Kaoru was glad to see Kamatari. Remembering the pale expression on her face when she first saw him, Kenshin decided that she had not seemed overjoyed at that particular moment. But, what about now?

Stepping back over to the coffee machine, he unhooked the now full coffee pot and absently poured half a cup. If Kamatari thought he could saunter in here and steal his best friend away right after he had just gotten her back, he was delusional. Kenshin especially was not going to let him hamper the part of their relationship which had only recently started to bloom. Rubbing a hand tiredly over his forehead, Kenshin frowned.

If he planned on outsmarting the city boy, he had some planning to do, and he better get started as soon as possible.

* * *

The midday sun streamed down, slightly warming the brisk air. Brushing her dirty hands against the fabric of her jeans, Kaoru blew a strand of her hair away from her face as she trudged down to the waterline pushing a bright red wheel barrel. Bits of debris lined the bottom of it as well as bits of trash that she had found littering the ground. There were a few food wrappers in the water lapping on the shore, most likely dropped into the water by Kenshin's neighbors who had a mind-block against throwing away their trash in a real trash can. The dumb people thought of the lake as their natural trash disposal.

Four Mallard ducks quacked in greeting when they saw her emerge from the tree line, walking down the slightly downhill dirt path. Their green feathers shone in the sunlight, glinting beautifully as their alert and expressive eyes followed her movements. Stooping down the pluck the trash from the edge of the water, she almost toppled over when Sanosuke laid a hand on her back, startling her so much she shrieked and whipped around, accidentally hitting him in the chin with her fist.

"Oww, Kaoru. Geez," he muttered, stumbling back away from her as she tried to catch her breath, her eyes narrowed.

"What are you sneaking up on me for then, Sano? You scared the crap out of me!"

"Well, imagine how I felt when I walked downstairs to find some strange man in the kitchen! I came down to ask you who he was before I arrested him for trespassing," he told her, rubbing his jaw.

Sending him a confused glare, she picked up the trash she'd dropped and tossed it into the wheel barrel. "Why didn't you ask him yourself? You're the police officer."

"I did, but I just wanted your reassurance that he's legitimate." Sano brushed a hand through his tousled hair and sighed. "_Do_ you know him?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But, I'm sure you don't need me to tell you about him. He'll be glad to give you his entire life story without you even asking him."

Sanosuke sent her an odd look, before nodding and stepping away. "Alright."

Once he had disappeared out of sight, Kaoru shook her head and rolled her eyes heavenward in exasperation. Her life seemed to get more and more interesting by the day. There were two more pieces of trash she picked out of the water before she moved on, walking further down the waterline.

She honestly didn't know what to think of the predicament she now found herself in. Her gut twisted at the thought of lying to Kenshin, and she grimaced, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep the truth of her relationship with Kamatari away from him for the planned week. Somehow, she knew it would slip one way or another. She knew Kenshin would forgive her, for she had done worse things in their past, but she dreaded the moment when he would find out and the flicker of distrust would mar his violet gaze. If she could turn back time, she would, but unfortunately she had no such power and would be forced to deal with her current situation whether she liked to or not.

She was tempted to tell him the truth now, but a part of her relished the flicker of jealousy she had seen fleetingly in his eyes. For their entire past, it had always been her that had felt the jealousy of watching him interact and date other woman. Now that he was the one who felt the distasteful, gut-twisting clench of jealousy, she felt…somewhat relieved. His slight revelation of the feelings he tried hard to conceal truly did show that he had come to care for her in a different way than he had previously. She wasn't sure how much his feelings for her had evolved, but maybe this…experience…would help her find out the truth.

Sighing, she turned her gaze to the lake, admiring the movements of the water. Watching rhythmic ripples of the clear water soothed her choppy thoughts, calming her, and in a way, reassuring her. Everything would be okay. Well, at least she hoped.

Placing her hands on the worn wooden handles of the wheel barrel, Kaoru hefted the now heavy equipment and started walking again. Her footsteps were unhurried and collected as she slowly searched for litter along the shore. Within ten minutes, she came to the long wooden dock lining a brief stretch of the shore with one length of it reaching out about thirty feet into the water. A familiar figure stood at the end of the dock, stooped to tie the forest green canoe to the end. Smiling, Kaoru stopped and pushed the wheel barrel against a tree. Brushing her bangs off her forehead, she started toward the fumbling red-haired man.

Her footsteps reverberated on the wood as she walked down the dock, gaining Kenshin's attention. As he finished tying the canoe to the dock, he looked up and flashed a welcoming smile.

"I wanted to come by and ask you if you're busy tomorrow afternoon?" he started as he stood up, watching as Kaoru came to a stop beside him.

"Nope," she replied happily. "Free as a bird."

"Good. Keep it that way, will you? I have an idea that you'll probably like."

"I'll try to keep it free, but you never know what could happen," she teased as they started to walk down the dock, and toward the stairs that lead up to the house.

"Is, ah, Kamatari staying with you?" he started hesitantly, watching her expression shift slightly as a frown marred her lips.

"Yes," Kaoru answered in a wry tone. "He claims he has nowhere else to go and he's run out of spare money to pay rent for a hotel room or small apartment while he's in the area."

"Has he told you why he's come here?"

Kaoru hesitated before answering, "I told him while we were in Europe that the island was a great place to work, and I guess he just wanted a change of scenery. The island is an ideal place to take a break from the fast pace of cities and other areas."

Kenshin nodded and remained silent the rest of the way up the steps to the house. Kaoru opened the door to usher him into the kitchen and closed it behind him silently. Yahiko stood at the stove, his eyes dulled with boredom and posture slouched as he lazily stirred the simmering soup in a metal pot on the hot stove.

"Lunch is almost done," he uttered dourly, not even bothering to look up from the food he was cooking.

Kaoru brushed past him and started to get bowls out of the cabinet, placing them on the counter next to Yahiko for him to fill when the soup was finished. Kaoru pulled a covered plastic pitcher of tea from the refrigerator and placed it on the kitchen table next to some paper cups.

"Ah, hello, Kenny," a smug voice from behind them said. Kenshin turned slightly, watching as Kamatari walked into the kitchen, a wide smile on his lips. In the process of pulling his hair back into a small ponytail, Kamatari pulled a chair out from the table with his bare foot, settling down gracefully. "Nice to have you join us for lunch. From what I've heard, Yahiko makes a mean soup."

"Yeah, you better watch out," Yahiko started sarcastically, "it's so mean it'll knock you out if you're not careful."

Kamatari chuckled and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at his ankles.

"How long do you think you'll be here?" Kenshin asked, sitting down next to Kaoru.

"Oh, for about as long as I'm needed, or when I overstay my welcome."

Kaoru snorted. "In other words, he'll leave when he wants to leave."

Yahiko turned the heat off at the stove and started to fill the four bowls with the spicy smelling soup. He brought the bowls over two at time, finally installing himself wearily between Kenshin and Kamatari and digging into the hot meal hungrily.

"So both of you guys teach at the high school?" Kamatari asked.

Kenshin nodded as he swallowed. "I'm a history teacher, while Kaoru teaches part-time as the photography teacher."

"She told me about that. I actually talked to the principal over the phone this morning, and he told me he'd love to have me join Kaoru at the school this coming week and teach as a guest lecturer. I'm pretty excited about it."

At his announcement, Kaoru had sudden trouble swallowing her soup, choking and making her eyes water. After a quick sip of tea, she managed to croak, "What? You talked to who?"

"The principal," Kamatari answered smoothly with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Kaoru felt her face flush a soft pink, incredulity filling her thoughts. She averted her eyes to the floating vegetables in her soup. Her heart sputtered erratically when she felt the familiar warmth of Kenshin's fingers as his hand reached out and clasped hers underneath the cover of the table. As if sensing her mood shift, he wrapped her fingers with his, and sent her a hooded smile above the table. Like he had done many times before at meals that they had eaten with her or his family, he comforted her with a singular gesture and calmed her without even saying a word.

"I'll have to stop by and see you tomorrow while you're helping Kaoru teach," Kenshin replied. "See how you're faring with the students. As you'll see tomorrow they can be a real handful."

Kamatari smiled slightly. "We'll see."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Don't forget to review and tell me your thoughts. It's great to hear from you all! 


	14. Flushed Laughter

**Author's Note**: Finally, another chapter. Although I have mounting schoolwork piling up, I figured a nice writing break would help sever the monotone thread of studying that seems to be taking over my life currently. Though I haven't been able to get chapters out in a regular manner that I did last year around this time, I hopefully will be able to write a little more frequently than usual. We'll see.

I want to thank all of you guys for sticking with me. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Please tell me your thoughts when you are done. I love reading what everybody thinks. Thanks again!

_Sidenote: Thanks Firalyn Tiatra for the grammatical errors you pointed out in your review...they have been corrected. And thanks to skenshingumi for telling me of my small discrepancy._

**Disclaimer**: I not own Rurouni Kenshin.

* * *

_**Excerpt from chapter 13:**_

"_I actually talked to the principal over the phone this morning, and he told me he'd love to have me join Kaoru at the school this coming week and teach as a guest lecturer. I'm pretty excited about it," said Kamatari._

_At his announcement, Kaoru had sudden trouble swallowing her soup, choking and making her eyes water. After a quick sip of tea, she managed to croak, "What? You talked to who?"_

_"The principal," Kamatari answered smoothly with a mischievous gleam in his eyes._

_Kaoru felt her face flush a soft pink, incredulity filling her thoughts. She averted her eyes to the floating vegetables in her soup. Her heart sputtered erratically when she felt the familiar warmth of Kenshin's fingers as his hand reached out and clasped hers underneath the cover of the table. As if sensing her mood shift, he wrapped her fingers with his, and sent her a hooded smile above the table. Like he had done many times before at meals that they had eaten with her or his family, he comforted her with a singular gesture and calmed her without even saying a word._

_"I'll have to stop by and see you tomorrow while you're helping Kaoru teach," Kenshin replied. "See how you're faring with the students. As you'll see tomorrow they can be a real handful."_

_Kamatari smiled slightly. "We'll see."_

* * *

**Tendrils of Sunset**

Chapter 14

_"Flushed Laughter"_

The night was cool and brisk as Kaoru walked out onto the dock, her bare feet treading lightly on the weathered wood. Her hands were jammed into the soft pockets of her fleece jacket and her eyes trained on the calm repetitive motion of the water around her lone form. Clouds covered the night sky, their full forms thick with a solemn darkness. Letting out a heavy sigh as she came to the end of the outstretched dock, Kaoru bent down and sat down on the edge, her loose hair covering her face as she lowered her head.

The complications just kept mounting. It was bad enough she was blatantly lying to Kenshin's face at home, but to have to deal with this ruse at work with Kamatari around her students, and Kenshin innocently going about his everyday routine was going too far, making this situation grate on her every thinning nerves. She had never felt more like ringing Kamatari's delicate little neck than at this moment in time. At dinner, she had wanted nothing more than to ram his shin with the toe of her shoe. The idiot just didn't know when to stop.

"What have I gotten myself into," she grumbled to herself, reaching up to brush her hair from her face.

Letting her gaze wander blindly to the water, Kaoru felt her stomach knot. What would Kenshin's reaction be? Would he care? Frowning, Kaoru rolled her eyes. Of course he would care about being lied to. But to what extent? She couldn't help but think about the time when she had willingly pulled a prank somewhat similar to this one when Kenshin's first girlfriend had come onto the scene. The silly young teenager that she had been had decided that telling him about her own "new" boyfriend would make him writhe with jealousy. Ha! If only….

Smiling slightly, Kaoru remembered his befuddled reaction when she had told him that Fabio really wasn't her boyfriend…in fact the Italian exchange student she had claimed to be her first love didn't even really exist. Mystified at first, he had shrugged her odd actions off to the alien workings of the female mind and continued his budding romance.

But that was over a decade ago, and things had changed. Many things…

* * *

Tiptoeing on the cool tile of the kitchen floor, Kaoru winced slightly when she closed the wooden cabinet door a little more loudly than she would have liked. Kamatari slept like the dead, but there was no way she wanted to take the chance and wake his slumbering butt. If she could just manage to get out of the house and avoid taking Kamatari to work with her, she could take a deep breath and relax for the first time in the past couple of days. Yahiko walked into the kitchen, his backpack slung over one shoulder. 

"When are we - " he began before being interrupted by Kaoru's abrupt shushing. Eyeing her cousin warily, she pointed upwards to second floor, raising her eyebrows. He could only assume she was worried about their unexpected guest who had crashed in the spare bedroom.

Yahiko turned away, exasperation written plainly on his features. As he pulled out a bottle of spring water from the refrigerator, he listened to Kaoru shuffle quietly around the room, collecting her materials for the day's photography lesson she had yet to teach. By the time he had walked to the back door, she was slipping her feet into her heels and following him out the door. Shutting the door as softly as possible, Kaoru locked it and started down the steps behind her cousin.

"I'm taking to car today, Yahiko. I'm going somewhere with Kenshin after school, so I was wondering if you minded walked back home and just staying at Kenshin's house till we get home if you don't want to go back to the island."

Yahiko grunted, his ambiguous response causing Kaoru to sigh.

Twenty minutes later, Kaoru pulled into the parking lot of the school, her eyes scanning for a parking space. So close to the commencement of the school day, the parking lot was mostly full, the only remaining spaces in the back, far away from the door. When parked, Yahiko quickly exited the vehicle, swung his backpack over his shoulder and headed to the building leaving Kaoru to grab all of her stuff.

It was a clear morning, mildly cool with a smooth breeze brushing through the air. Heels snapping briskly on the black asphalt, Kaoru adjusted the strap of her leather briefcase and sighed heavily. The walk was somewhat calming to her frayed nerves, the fresh air cleansing her jumbled mind. It was good to have a clear head when faced with dealing with a classroom of teenagers. Pushing open the door leading from the parking lot into the high school building, she smiled distractedly at a passing fellow teacher and made her way down the hall, heading for her classroom. School had yet to begin, so many students were at or around their lockers either socializing or gathering their books for first period. Some trickled into the classrooms where their first period was held.

Since Kaoru's scheduled had been rearranged, she now taught a class at the beginning of the school day three out of the five days of the week. Having a class early in the morning was more relaxing than she had originally thought. It was a nice pace maker for the day.

Kaoru strode into her classroom, her briefcase now clutched tightly in her hand. Her eyebrows were drawn into a thin line of concentration as she dropped the briefcase onto the floor next to her desk and sat down heavily in her chair. There were a few students already in the room, waiting for the bell to ring to signal the beginning of class. They didn't seem to notice her presence as she brushed her hair out of her eyes and warily eyed to scattered disarray of her desk with mild distaste. Shuffling the loose papers, Kaoru tried to straighten the cluttered disorder. As more students started to file in, she moved the small haphazard pile of papers up to the corner of her desk and reached down the grab her briefcase off the floor.

She pulled some materials from one of the interior pockets, and set them facedown as the bell rang, signaling the start of the class period. The students shuffled around in their seats as they gathered their designated materials, their voices slowly lowering to a hushed whisper.

"Okay guys, we're going to do what we did last week. Five people will be in the darkroom and the rest in the classroom can start matting developed photos or work on their photo collage that's due at the end of the week."

A girl in the back of the class raised her hand. Nodding, Kaoru encouraged her to talk. "Um, my photo turned out blurry. I was wondering if I could get back in the darkroom today or come back after school?"

"If someone in today's rotation gets finished quickly you can go on in. If you don't get in today, come talk to me after class," Kaoru responded before reaching down and pulling up a sheet on top of the pile on the edge of her desk. "The people in the darkroom today will be Rose, Paul, Danny, Grace, and Sydney."

At that announcement, the students started shuffling around, pulling out their materials and getting started on the projects for the morning. The five people Kaoru had called got up from their desks are made their way to the darkroom. Kaoru followed, and entered the room behind them. She closed the door behind her. Opening one of the bottom cabinets, she pulled out the already mixed chemicals and started to pour them in the developing trays.

"I'll stay in here for the first couple of minutes in case anyone needs help, okay? Does everyone have the photo they're developing picked out from their negatives?"

They nodded noiselessly.

"Good. Remind me at the end of class that the chemicals need to be dumped. This is the last time they can be used."

Kaoru stepped back from the set up, grabbing her apron and putting in on. Flipping off the overhead light, she quickly turned on the safelights and bathed the room in a red hue. Before she could say anymore, there was a knock on the door. Making sure it was safe to turn the overhead lights back on, Kaoru sighed and opened the door, her eyebrows raised in a slightly disapproving, yet questioning slant.

Her expression immediately drooped, astonishment covering her features.

"Guys, go on without me. I'll be back in a minute," Kaoru said over her shoulder as she stepped out of the darkroom, closing the door behind her. To the person in front of her, she said curtly, "Follow me."

Once in the hallway, she frowned at the smugly smiling Kamatari, shaking her head jerkily. "How did you get here?"

"I drove," he answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "I got here about an hour ago to talk to the principal and get my gear together. You guys were still asleep where I left," he said. "Why? I told you I would be here."

Groaning, Kaoru stepped back and leaned against the wall. "No reason," she muttered. "I'm just being stupid. I thought I left you at home this morning."

"No such luck. It appears as if you're still stuck with me for the day," he replied with a smile. Flicking his gaze back to the room, he raised and eyebrow. "So what can I do? What's the plan?"

Sighing with obvious surrender, Kaoru pushed off from the wall. "I'm going to help the kids in the darkroom. I assume you came with lecture prepared?"

Kamatari nodded. "You know me so well."

"I'll just push back the due dates for the projects they're working on, and tell the students in the classroom to listen to you." Kaoru moved to open the door, but stopped, turning back to face Kamatari with a skeptical look on her face. "What are you planning on lecturing about?"

"I was thinking either wildlife photography or portraits. What do think would be best?"

"Portraits. Being lecturing about it by another photographer will give a fresh view at a topic we've already covered," Kaoru replied. "I guess for the next class lecture you can do a poll and see what they want to learn about the most. Might as well take advantage of having a guest lecturer and allow them to enjoy it," she muttered more to herself than him.

"Whatever, boss," he teased lightly, following her back into the classroom.

* * *

Later that day around noon, Kaoru had to admit that despite being slightly annoyed Kamatari had weaseled his way into her work life, he had been a breath of fresh air to the students. His point of view and style of photography was different than hers and by having him lecture to them, they had gotten to see a whole new perspective of the wonderful art. Of course they had been happy that the due dates for their projects had been pushed back, and that they'd had a break from their current work, but Kaoru had seen the genuine interest flashing on their faces. Not wanting to have the five students in the darkroom miss out, she had even made them join the rest of the class and listen the lecture. 

Pushing the door open, Kaoru left the office after a quiet talk with Misao and started back toward her classroom. Brushing her bangs from her eyes, she chewed her bottom lip in thought.

"Kaoru?"

Turning around quickly, her gaze speculative, she felt a quick smile curl her lips when she caught sight of a curious Kenshin. He stood there, students passing him on both sides, eager to eat their lunch. His bright red hair was pulled back in the usual half-hearted ponytail, and his shirt was smudged with the off-yellow color of chalk as if he had leaned against the chalk board inadvertently. Pleasure curled in her stomach at the sight of him as she clasped her hands in front of her and leaned forward on her toes.

"Hey," she responded, offering him a pretty smile.

"Are you coming to lunch?" he asked somewhat uncertainly motioning toward the wide door behind him that led to the lunchroom.

Grimacing, Kaoru shook her head. "The department got a new enlarger this past weekend, and I need to set it up. We're getting backlogged in Advanced Photography and kids are getting behind. Now more kids can use the darkroom with the extra equipment."

"Do you need any help?"

"Nah. Go eat your lunch. Kamatari is here today and he's already getting a space cleared in the darkroom for the enlarger. But, thanks for offering," she replied with smile. "I better get back."

Kenshin nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of pants. She had taken a few steps, when he called her back, suddenly remembering something important.

"You still free tonight?" he asked as she turned around, her eyes lighting with curiosity.

"Of course," she responded easily, watching him closely.

He stepped over to her, pulling a slip of paper out of his pocket. He glanced at it for a moment, as if debating giving it to her, then looked up into her sapphire gaze and extended the paper to her. She took the folded paper from him, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Meet me at the place on the paper at 4:00 this afternoon. I have a mandatory faculty meeting right after school, but it should be over fairly quickly," he told her softly.

"Okay."

Stepping back, Kenshin turned and pushed open the lunchroom door.

Kaoru unfolded the piece of paper and read the address. Frowning, she countered, "But, Kenshin that's not horseback riding, that's the -" she stopped as she looked up, finding him gone, the lunchroom door swinging from his departure. Looking back down at the paper, she shook her head, intrigued. "Interesting," she mused.

* * *

As the bell signaling the end of the day rang, Kaoru sighed deeply while watching the students quickly stand up from their desks and exit the classroom in a cluster of noise and reenergized excitement. Picking up papers from her desk, Kaoru started to stuff the unorganized stack in her briefcase while with narrowed eyes, she watched Kamatari with a suspicious glower. Smiling cheerily, he raised his eyebrows at her expression and leaned a hip against the edge of her desk. 

"Sit on a hedgehog?"

She snorted and lowered her gaze to the papers she was stuffing in the briefcase. "That would be the least of my problems."

"I'm worse than quills in your backside?" he asked teasingly.

"Definitely," she replied, a small smile on her lips.

"They did like me. The students, I mean."

"I know. Thanks for making it interesting for them."

Kamatari remained silent as he watched her zip the briefcase and sling the strap over her shoulder.

"Well, I'll see you later," she said cryptically, heading to the door quickly.

"You aren't coming home?"

"I will…later."

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere."

"Am I coming?"

"Nope."

"Is that anyway to treat a friend?" he asked, close on her heels as they walked down the hallway.

"I've got somewhere I have to be," she started. Her steps slowed and she turned to face him. "And, now that I remember, so do you. The principal wants to speak to you again. Oh, and can you drive Yahiko back home. You guys can stay at Kenshin's house or take the canoe to the island. Whatever you want," she said with a quick smile before she turned and started back down the hall, leaving Kamatari to shake his head.

"Can't get rid of me that easily, honey. You should know that," he said softly, a secretive glint in his eyes as he watched her walk away.

* * *

As Kaoru drove down the road densely lined with towering trees that shaded the dark asphalt, she tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. Pulling her sunglasses off, she followed the sparse sprinkling of road signs pointing her to her location, though she could have found her way without them. She had been to this particular place so many times before, she knew the way effortlessly. 

At exactly 3:55, Kaoru pulled her car into a parking lot that was already moderately filled, scanning the present cars for Kenshin's familiar one. Not finding him with a cursory glance, she pulled into the closest parking spot and cut off the engine. Pulling her keys from the ignition,she opened the door and stepped out, her tennis shoes sinking into a small puddle. Before leaving the high school campus, she had slipped into the bathroom and changed into a spare set of clothes she kept in the trunk of her car.

Walking up to the main entrance, Kaoru spotted the redheaded man standing off to side, glancing down at his watch. Striding up to him, Kaoru watched as he raised his head and caught sight of her. A warm smile spread across his face as she came closer.

"So, why the Zoo?" she asked him when she came into earshot, scanning his familiar features.

Kenshin shrugged and grinned slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. "You used to love coming here when we were teenagers to photograph all the animals. Said it helped you gain experience. I thought we could return here for old-time sake and thank all the animals for your professional success."

"Ah," she replied, laughter curling in her throat. "My professional success? I guess you're right. After all they did help shape my unique and untouchable style," she teased.

Nodding, Kenshin grabbed her forearm and started toward the admissions booth, pulling his wallet out from his back pocket with his other hand. "Exactly. I knew you understand."

Biting back a grin, she let out a long-suffering sigh, catching his attention as he handed money over to the admissions employee. "Too bad I don't have a camera with me," she said.

Turning back to the woman, he took the two wristbands that signified their payment and handed one to Kaoru. Reaching into his left-front pocket as he walked forward to get out the way so the people behind them could pay, he pulled out a small disposable camera.

"Thought of that as well," he replied. "I stopped by a drug store and bought one of these."

Taking it from him, Kaoru bit her lip, trying unsuccessfully to hide her surprised smile.

"I know the quality is pretty poor, but with your talent I bet you can pop out something extraordinary," Kenshin told her as he handed it to her.

"I guess we'll just have to see."

Unfolding the large map, Kenshin flipped it around to get his bearings, and pointed to where they were standing. "Where to? Since we came later in the afternoon, our time is limited so we should hit the animals we want to see the most." Scanning the map with narrowed eyes, he glanced at her as she fiddled with the camera. "You used to like the primates. Should we go to the primate house?"

"Sounds good."

Together they walked through the Zoo, passing a few people. The colorful menagerie of animal sounds musically filled the air, creating a singular aura of wildness and untamed auditory beauty. Breathing the air, Kaoru relaxed, slipping her arm through Kenshin's and feeling the old love for this place she had well up in her chest. It really did feel wonderful to be back in this beautiful exotic world of animals she had adored when she was younger.

Kenshin stepped to the side, pulling her with him as he opened the tinted door leading into the primate house. She stepped inside after him, readying her disposable camera. As they made their way through the building, Kaoru shot a few pictures of the various primates through the heavy glass, and Kenshin watched her silently. As they came near the end of the building, Kenshin watched as she took another picture and started to wind the small wheel on the top, readying the film for her next shot.

"Whenever I try to take a picture through the glass, I get a huge glare," he mumbled, half to her, half to himself.

Looking back at him, she smiled and shook her. "You tilt the camera at an angle to avoid the glare. I've told you that before."

He shrugged, smiling at her. "Easier said than done."

She turned back to the glass to look at the Pygmy Marmoset hopping quickly through the thin, lightweight branches stretching across their small habitat. She quickly froze when an unwelcome familiar voice filtered through the air, weakly reaching them, though strong enough for Kaoru to recognize. Groaning, she turned.

She quickly pulled Kenshin over to a corner, hoping against hope that she had heard wrong and that the annoying voice belonged to some unknown stranger. But, Kaoru felt her stomach drop when Kamatari and her younger cousin rounded the corner, obviously arguing about something completely trivial. How Kamatari found out where she was, she didn't know, but she would have a say in whether he actually found them.

"What are they doing here?" Kenshin asked, as bewildered as she was.

"I don't know. Come on."

They hurried out the building, though not quickly enough for Kamatari caught sight of them. Kaoru groaned when she heard him call her name. Half jogging, she pulled Kenshin with her to the nearest building – the aviary. Hurrying inside, they shut the door quickly behind them and entered the second nook leading to a small aviary holding birds native to Australia inside.

Kenshin pulled her backwards, wrapping his arms around her from behind, pulling her tightly against his chest. She felt the steady thrum of his heartbeat through the thin fabric of her clothes as warmth from his body surrounded her.

Outside, they heard the annoyed mumblings of her cousin as he belligerently followed the man vainly trying to find them. Kamatari mumbled something inaudible and they heard the two irritably stalk off.

Tilting her head back, her eyes caught Kenshin's knowing violet gaze, and their thoughts connected with a sharp precision that was reminiscent to their closeness in their younger years. He chuckled, tightening his arms around her and burying his head into the curve between her neck and shoulders, his muted laughter brushing against her flushed skin. Kaoru felt her amusement build, spilling over and escaping from her lips. Leaning against his solid chest she lowered her head and let her laughter fill the aviary.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Remember to review. Thanks for reading! 


	15. Silent Understanding

**Author's Note**: Finally, another chapter. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews for the last chapter. And big special thanks to the person who nominated me for Author of the Year for the 2005 RKRC awards. Just having someone think that I deserve to be nominated has made me very, very proud. So, thank you again!

Hope everyone enjoys. Leave me a review if you have the time!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

* * *

**Tendrils of Sunset**

Chapter 15

"_Silent Understanding"_

Laughter is a funny thing. A diverse thing. An anomalous sound that can reveal, hide, and slowly unfold emotions. Laughter can be soft or harsh, throaty or methodical, familiar or unfamiliar. It's a message of unique sound notes belonging to only one certain individual that brilliantly reveals the intricacies of the mind.

In Kaoru's case, it was a smooth buffer, allowing the subtle expression of feelings that were always inhibited in her - hidden not only from others, but trapped within herself. It had been a while since she had felt such freedom coursing through her, lifting her and showing her that ease of the mind didn't always have to come with a heavy price. It was there for the taking. She just hadn't really realized how to actually take advantage of what had always been right in front of her.

And it was funny that such a situation as this served as the point where she felt this complete freedom. Hiding like a wanted criminal from her irritating friend was not the way she envisioned she would spend this evening. It was nice, though, that this hiding involved being wrapped in her best friend's arms, his own easy laughter close to her ear, and the sound of nature enveloping their stationary forms.

The air was humid and hot, clouded with moisture used to create a natural balance of comfort for the numerous birds in the aviary. The colorful voices of the parrots mingled with the captivating resonance of the scenic avian enclosure, filling the area with a singular aura of anything but docility. The decorative metal railing, which separated the walkway from the beautiful expanse of the birds' reign, was small and slightly unsteady as Kenshin leaned back against it.

His arms were warm around Kaoru, securely holding her body against his in an protective grip. She bit the inside of her cheek as her laughter began to slowly abate, though her obvious merriment remained beguilingly in her bright sapphire gaze. She turned slightly, her cheek brushing the coarse fabric of Kenshin's shirt and her eyes catching his again. His expression was content, and his lips were curved slightly while his eyes held a singular note of familiar sincerity that she had always associated with him.

Grasping Kenshin's hand with hers, Kaoru removed his arms from around her waist, stepping back and smiling lightheartedly. As she lightly let go of his hands, she turned her gaze to her exotic surroundings, allowing her eyes soak in the brilliance of it. She placed her hands palm down on the cool metal railing, barring her from the enclosure. Kenshin turned his head to follow the direction of her gaze, silently admiring the multitude of birds around them, knowing that her silence…the peace that Kaoru was able to surround herself with, when with the animals, was what she loved the most about photographing wildlife.

A perceptive smile covered Kenshin's lips as he watched the familiar flush of amazement cover her features, lighting her eyes with a beautiful brilliance that was ubiquitously exclusive to her. Kaoru brushed her bangs from her eyes impatiently and grabbed for her disposable camera, raising the lens and catching the unsuspecting birds in pose that they would now forever hold. Kenshin could see the excitement radiating from her, the pent up energy building in her limbs as she became immersed in a world of her own making, consisting of nothing but her current subjects and her camera.

This concentration that he had always admired was what made Kaoru who she was, allowing her to be the photographer she had always dreamed of being.

He noticed the subtle shift of her shoulders, the slight blinking of her eyes as she lowered her consciousness back to her surrounding reality after a few minutes. Her gaze remained slightly disconnected, though her smile held an untouchable contentment that involuntarily made Kenshin's heart thud in his chest. He lightly wrapped a hand around her elbow, causing her sapphire gaze to connect with his.

"Ready to move on?" he asked quietly.

Kaoru sighed heavily, nodding slightly as she cast the birds an apologetic glance as if promising to return and photograph their exceptional radiance again some other day.

"Yes. Let's got to another habitat."

"You think the coast is clear?" Kenshin questioned softly, his eyes moving to the doorway of the aviary.

Kaoru's eyes flickered with annoyance, and she clenched her jaw with apparent disgruntlement. Amused by her frustration, Kenshin kept his eyes trained away from her unhappy visage, hoping to keep his mounting enjoyment from her probing gaze.

"They better be gone. If they aren't, I'll run them off myself…and it won't be a pretty sight," she ground out in a low tone.

Slipping his fingers around hers, Kenshin propelled her forward, purposely breaking her from the haze of irritation and leading her out of the aviary. Kaoru followed, her mouth tilted in a wry frown, her eyes alight with a pleased glint as she watched him. Kenshin never ceased to surprise her…whether he meant to intentionally or unintentionally. This trip to the zoo had been meant to lull the both of them into a familiar sense of security, but also carefully ease them out their formerly buried feelings, and assist in the tentative progression of their uncertain relationship. Caught between the boundary separating friends from love interest was sticky and unchartered territory for both and putting any unnecessary strain on the hesitant strands holding them together was definitely not needed.

With a content smile, Kaoru followed Kenshin through the maze of the zoo, pleased and comfortably relaxed in the distinguishing aura that he exuded with calm ease. They moved to many other exhibits, their eyes searching the zoo for familiarities, while also catching new additions to their teenage refuge. Kaoru spent a large chunk of time in the reptile house, fascinated by the colorful diversity of snakes, lizards, and turtles from varying places around the world. The limitations of her disposable camera held her back photographically, but Kaoru felt confident that at least a couple of the pictures she had snapped of the extraordinary Burmese python would turn out quite nice.

But even though the spent a lot of time exploring, the most time was spent in front of the African Serengeti exhibit, watching the careful tread of the munching zebras, the spry alertness of the gazelles, and the lazy docility of the content giraffes. The elephants were housed in an adjacent habitat, resting pleasantly knee-deep in the cool pool of water offered to them.

Long after she had reached the limit of pictures the disposable camera could take, Kenshin and Kaoru remained just outside the pair of African exhibits, sitting on top of a worn picnic table.

It was serene, watching the animals against a backdrop of hued brilliance as the sun its slow evening descent. The black silhouettes of the animals disrupting the flow of blended, luminous colors were a striking sight, one that would forever be burned in Kaoru's mind. Though she almost wished that there was at least one more picture left in her camera to capture this breathtaking sight, Kaoru felt a satisfied smile curve her lips as she decided that this scene would be even more memorable just burned deeply into her mind. Peering at Kenshin's shaded face from the corner of her eye, Kaoru leaned forward, resting her forearms on her thighs.

No photo would ever be able to do this moment justice. It would forever remain only in her memories as a representative time when words hadn't been needed, and time wrapped them a blanket of understanding. Sitting side-by-side on the top of the picnic table, shoulders touching, eyes trained on the twilight's unimaginable splendor, Kenshin and Kaoru recognized these minutes of spectacular tranquility as a defining time - one which would always be held onto tightly.

They remained this way, silent and introspective, until it was time for them to leave. There were only a few people still wandering around when the zoo closed, and the parking lot was almost deserted as they walked to their cars. Kenshin moved past his own car and walked over to Kaoru's as she unlocked it. Raising an eyebrow in question, she eyed him curiously.

"I'm going to get some Chinese takeout. Meet me at my house," Kenshin told her.

"Got a movie?" she asked with a quick smile, leaning against the driver-side door of her car.

"Already rented one."

Kaoru sighed. "I guess I have no choice. Be quick getting that food, though." She grimaced and pressed a hand to her stomach. "I'm starving."

"Extra egg rolls, then?" Kenshin mused, smiling slightly.

"Of course."

He turned, moving slowly to his own car. Kaoru watched him for a moment before opening the car door and slipping inside. The ride back to Kenshin's house was filled with the interesting musical selections of the radio station she had on her stereo. Kaoru found herself absentmindedly humming with a few of the familiar tunes as she navigated carefully down the narrow roads through night's darkness, the trusty headlights keeping the blackness illuminated.

She beat Kenshin home, obviously, since she had no stops on the way back. When she stepped out of the car, the familiar sounds of the lake soothed her, and Kaoru sucked in a deep breath of the brisk air tinged with the water's distinctive scent. She made her way around the back of the house, walking across the deck and toward the sliding glass door leading into the den. Raising herself on her tiptoes, Kaoru ran her fingers along the doorsill, blindly searching for Kenshin's spare key.

When she felt the cool brush of metal against her fingertips, she deftly curved her fingers around it and pulled it down from its lofty position. She quickly unlocked the door with a sharp snap. Sliding it open, Kaoru replaced the key in its somewhat hidden position and stepped into house, closing the door and locking it behind her.

The lights were turned off. As she walked through the den toward the kitchen, she flipped on the hall light and then finally the kitchen light. Walking through his kitchen, which she knew almost as well as her own, Kaoru opened the refrigerator and took out a can of soda. Moving over to the kitchen table, she pulled out a chair and sat down, leaning her arms on the tabletop.

Running her gaze over the scattered papers littering the table, she ruffled through them briefly with an amused smile on her face. Though, Kenshin liked to appear neat and organized while at school, the mess sprawled in front of her proved that that's where his tidiness abruptly ended. When at home, his organizational skills seemed to evaporate into a thick puff of smoke, and what he was left with made him constantly disordered. At least he managed to keep graded papers and un-graded papers into separate stacks. Within a sudden grin, Kaoru vaguely remembered him complaining of once grading a couple papers twice before realizing that they had already been marked upon.

Shoving aside one stack of papers revealed a small paperback novel that she had noticed him reading at school every now and then. Picking it up, she ran her gaze over the cover and shrugged. She had no idea how long it would take him to return with the food, and thinking of those delicious noodles had her stomach growling. With a sigh, Kaoru flipped open the book, leaned back in the chair, and began to read.

How long she had had her nose stuck in Kenshin's book she didn't know, but when she heard the distinctive click of the sliding door being unlocked, opened, then closed, she lifted her eyes from the book, and watched as Kenshin stuck his head into the kitchen, his gaze darting from her face to his book. She could imagine him mentally rolling his eyes, though his face remained impassive.

"You coming?" he asked, raising a bag of food as enticement.

Kaoru immediately bolted up from the chair, the book long forgotten as it slipped from her fingers and fell onto the top of the table. "Oh, yeah. I'm coming."

She quickly followed him into the den. Watching him with narrowed eyes, she stood to the side as he lowered the bags of food onto the glass table in front of the sofa. When he stepped away to grab the rented movie, she quickly delved into the bags, sighing with pleasure as the heavenly scent met her nose. Pulling the containers of food free and placing them on the table, Kaoru grabbed the chopsticks and bottles of water from another bag and then sat down heavily on the sofa, tucking her feet beneath her.

She watched as Kenshin put the movie into the player, her mouth already jammed with food, and her cheeks flushed with content bliss. As he moved to sit down next to her, she shoved the second bottle of water and pair of chopsticks into his hands. Kenshin took them quietly, settling back against the cushions after he had grabbed his own food and opened the hot container.

When the title of the film flashed on the screen, Kaoru gave a choked sound of glee, her eyes widening with delight. Whipping her gaze to him, she grinned. "Horror!" she gasped out as she swallowed her food. "You shouldn't have!"

Kenshin chuckled, sliding her a sideways glance. "I know. I shouldn't have. You know I hate these things."

She rolled her eyes, going back to her food with a grunt. "I've never understood your aversion to scary movies," she muttered.

"I don't take delight in having the crap scared out of me."

"Chicken," she said with a crooked smile, raising an eyebrow in retort.

He refused to rise to her carefully dangled bait and let the movie's opening music drown the room with its overly dramatic tune. It successfully distracted Kaoru from their conversation, drawing her attention completely to the corny storyline that was an utter impossibility from the start.

While many people, when watching a horror movies, cower and jump with anticipated fright at the moments designated to instill horror, Kaoru seemed to take on a role of her own as the designated counselor for the poor character trapped in the horrific storyline. Shouting suggestions, motioning animatingly with her hands, and laughing uncontrollably at moments that were supposed to be scary were many of her reactions. Sometimes, he found it interesting to watch horror movies with her, because of the distractive presence she represented.

Tonight, though, she was more subdued. Of course he heard her muttering unintelligibly to herself or rather the character as they performed less than intelligible acts, and he heard the small bursts of laughter sputtering from her mouth, but tonight, Kaoru seemed a little tired. She had pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Her knees served as a resting place for her chin. As she continued to sit in her supposed comfortable position, Kenshin caught her eyelids drooping a few times, her attention slowly falling from the film.

The movie was almost a third of the way finished when Kenshin felt her head come to rest against his shoulder, her breath slipping in even bursts on the skin of his neck. Gazing down at her, he watched as the lights of the television flashed against her shaded face. With a fond smile, Kenshin lifted his arm, wrapping in around her upper body, allowing her sleeping form to fit more comfortably against him. Brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, he sighed and turned his gaze back to the television. Unconsciously, she burrowed her face into him, one of her hands coming up to clutch the fabric of his shirt.

Kenshin reached behind him, and grabbed the afghan from the back of the sofa. Wrapping it snugly around her, he sighed.

It had been a nice day, he mused to himself.

* * *

It was so warm. Kaoru wanted to bury herself in the surrounding warmth and never surface. She nearly shivered in repugnance at the thought of leaving her comfortable cocoon to go about her mundane, boring morning routine. With an absentminded smile, she shifted and rubbed her cheek on the firm surface beneath her. 

Odd…

She didn't remember her mattress being quite this solid.

Or this warm, now that she thought of it.

Maybe she was still dreaming. Kind of weird dream, though. Mentally shaking her head, Kaoru refused to open her eyes, because anything that felt this good had to be attached to an invisible timer just ticking away, and she planned to take full advantage of it.

Of course that was before her mattress moved and let out a peculiar resemblance of a snore.

Kaoru froze, her mind beginning to race with a multitude of thoughts she didn't find reassuring in the least.

Where exactly was she?

The surface she was laying halfway on rose intermittently, and was accompanied with a steady, hushed thump. Something held her tightly, wrapped around her back and clutching the fabric of her shirt near her hip. An odd strangled noise sounded in the back of Kaoru's throat as she tried to move, but was caught and held tightly in place.

It was then that she slowly opened her eyes.

A wave of relief swept over her immediately when she found a cloud of deep red hair underneath one her own hands. Peering over the familiar hair, she caught sight of Kenshin's sleeping face. The sudden relief she felt moments ago was soon replaced with uncertain discomfiture as a hot blush swept over her features, staining her face a dull pink. Breath catching in her throat, Kaoru tried to transfer her weight off of his, but was restrained again as Kenshin's arm instinctually clutched her with a rigid grip and kept her tightly against him.

Kaoru sighed, her eyes shifting from his face down to the hand resting innocently on her hip. Catching her lower lip between her teeth with concentration, she wrapped her free hand around his fingers and attempted to loosen his grasp on her.

The evenness of his breathing suddenly changed as she removed his hand, and when she quickly darted her gaze back to his, Kenshin was blinking blearily at her, lost for moment as he tried to piece the previous night's events together.

Their eyes caught, and Kaoru watched as the tired blur slowly slipped from his eyes, his amethyst gaze clearing and lighting with a soft understanding. The corner of his mouth curved a little and he blinked slowly. Raising a hand, he swept it over her cheek and brushed his fingers through her bangs. The blush marring her cheeks slowly receded as a sort of calmness loosened her tensed muscles, allowing her to relax against his body. Nervousness abated. Apprehension was washed away. Uncertainties were forgotten. And all she was left with was acceptance and warmth.

Not bodily warmth, necessarily. Just…warmth.

And Kaoru slowly felt herself returning his small smile, her eyes curling with an open affection she welcomed.

"Good morning," Kenshin uttered, his voice resonating in his chest.

"Morning." Kaoru cocked her head to the side. "Sorry I passed out on you."

Amusement flickered in his eyes. "Don't be."

Kaoru felt a grin tickling the corners of her mouth. She felt an unconscious sigh build in her throat as she shifted once more. Kenshin didn't hamper her movements this time as she pushed herself up. Leaning against the back of the couch, she rested her weight on her knees, allowing him to sit up and swing his legs off the couch. Raising her arms above her head, Kaoru stretched, letting a moan of satisfaction to escape her.

Kenshin ran his hands over his face and sucked in a deep breath as he yawned. "I'm going to make some coffee," he told her softly as he stood up from the couch, and began to make his way to the kitchen with slow footsteps, rolling his shoulders to loosen the muscles.

" 'Kay," Kaoru replied, settling her feet onto the cool wood floor. She lifted her gaze to the television and grimaced when she noticed that it was still on. Reaching for the remote, she quickly turned it off and replaced the controller onto the table still littered with the trash remnants of their dinner. She moved to collect the trash, but froze when she caught movement from the corner of her eye.

Her cousin stood on the other side of the sliding glass door, an eyebrow raised, his mouth pulled in a frown that was desperately trying to burst into a wide grin. Holding back a groan, Kaoru slowly plodded over to the door, unlocked it and pulled it open just enough to poke her head out.

"Having an illicit affair, cuz?" he questioned, his mouth curling.

"You want to live to see the next day?"

"Oh, come now. Don't be like that. Just because I caught you - "

"I'm serious, Yahiko." Kaoru fisted her hand and shoved it in his face. "I'll give you a black eye."

"Is that how you treat people who are trying to bring you a change of clothes?" he asked, raising his arm and showing her the bag he held.

"No. That's how I treat my smartass cousin."

He rolled his eyes and shoved the bag into her face. "Just hurry up and get dressed. I don't want to be late again."

"Walk then," she muttered.

"You walk!" he retorted.

Kaoru snorted and gave him a pointed glare. "You. Wait there."

Shutting the door with a click, Kaoru turned and left Yahiko on the deck, his face marred with an annoyed frown. Striding through the den, she quickly made her way to the hall and shut herself in the bathroom, dumping the bag Yahiko brought with him onto the floor to explore the contents. Amazingly enough, he had even packed her makeup. Begrudgingly, she admitted she'd have to thank the twerp.

When she emerged a while later, she found Kenshin and Yahiko in the kitchen, identical coffee mugs in front of them as they sat at the kitchen table, leaning over a paper Kenshin was currently grading.

Yahiko looked up when she walked in and moved over to the coffee pot.

"About time. We need to leave now," he told her. "Kenshin said he's going to drive."

"Alright, alright," she mumbled as she took a tentative sip of the scalding brew. "I'm coming."

It was with a reluctant smile she followed her cousin out of the house, and just to annoy him as they got into Kenshin's car, she ran a hand through his hair and muttered a soft 'thanks'. She might be delusional, but she swore she saw a small smile on lips, which was quickly covered by a wide scowl as he rebutted her action with string of complaints.

* * *

Kamatari, like yesterday, was already at the high school when they arrived. This time, though, Kaoru was completely aware of his presence from the moment she stepped foot in the building…mainly because he was standing in the middle of the hallway in deep discussion with one of her students. He gave her a small wave as she walked by, and then continued his conversation with the teenager. 

Morning classes went by quickly. Kamatari helped again with the lecture, taking half of the class period to discuss his views on how different forms of lighting can affect the photograph in extraordinary and adverse ways. The students welcomed his new form of teaching with bright and welcome eyes, and Kaoru admitted that it was nice to step back and take breather as she watched her friend take over the class. Despite the fact that the class was getting behind schedule, the reprieve from their routine was definitely welcome.

If it weren't for Kamatari's meddling with her personal life, she might have asked him to stay and assist with the class for the rest of the semester. But, she knew what deviousness lurked behind the ignorant exterior he maintained with such exactness. When his week of lecturing ended, Kaoru had every intention of having him move on to another place.

After the lunch bell rang, Kamatari caught her by the sleeve as she started out the door, his eyebrows raised in question.

"You aren't going to stay and help finish setting up the enlargers in the darkroom?" he asked.

Kaoru shook her head while eyeing him warily. "No. That can be finished later. I told Kenshin I'd meet him for lunch."

"Oh, really? Want some company?"

She gave him a half smile. "I promised it would just be me."

Kamatari frowned, sighing as he turned away from her. "So be it."

Kaoru started to exit the classroom, but stopped for a moment, then turned her head back to study Kamatari. "What were you doing at the zoo yesterday?"

"Found that note Kenshin left you. It fell on the floor. I thought you might want some help, but I was never able to really find you two."

"Stroke of luck on our part," Kaoru muttered to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just…don't follow us again, okay? If you do, I'll have to come after you, and the outcome won't be pretty."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, shooting her a cocky grin as she turned and left the room, leaving her friend behind.

The hallway was deserted, and a dull roar of voices could be heard as Kaoru passed the cafeteria doors. She made her way through the building to one of the backdoors, and slowly pushed the heavy thing open to reveal bright sunshine beating down on the earth, mixing with noon's brisk air. Kaoru was blinded momentarily by the sudden onslaught of light, and she quickly raised a hand to shield the sun from her vision.

She caught a slight touch of movement from the corner of her eye and turned to find Kenshin leaning against the side of the brick building, one hand jammed in a pocket of his gray trousers, his white button-up shirt and orange tie rustling quietly with the small breeze threading softly through the air. He held a medium sized paper bag in the other hand.

"You sure this is a good time to do this?" Kenshin asked as she came to a stop beside him.

"We've never been caught before."

"We were students then. No one cared if we disappeared for a few minutes. The fact that we're teachers now makes things a little more complicated."

Kaoru smiled and reached over to pat his arm reassuringly. "Don't worry. It's only lunch."

He made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat as he watched her sigh and turn away from him, her eyes catching the slightly worn path that lead through the heavy tree line directly behind the school building. Without a backwards glance, she walked forward toward the trees.

"You coming?" she asked loudly, her words carrying over her shoulder.

Kenshin shifted and pushed off from his stationary position against the wall, shaking his head slightly with mild exasperation. "Yeah," he replied.

The path they took wasn't worn like commonly used trails. They only way he knew they were actually going the right way was the fact that he'd been this way many times before. A colorful assortment of plants dusted the grassy strewn pathway, while trees heavily lined and carefully covered it. He watched as Kaoru easily navigated her way through the brush, her mouth drawn in a contemplative frown as she walked, showing that her attention was divided between the unworn path and her thoughts.

Their destination wasn't far away, taking roughly a minute or two to reach it. As Kenshin stepped into the small, sunlit clearing behind Kaoru, he let his eyes sweep over the thick carpet of grass and the quaint sprinkling of small yellow flowers. A wide tree stood in the left corner of the opening, sporting crude, nailed on rungs of wood on the trunk, leading to a wooden floor that sat amidst a cradle of tree branches.

They'd found this place in the middle of Kenshin's senior year of high school. Boredom after school had invited them to wander through the small wood, and they had stumbled onto the half-finished tree house in the little clearing by complete accident. Fridays had quickly become the assigned day when they snuck away from the cafeteria during their lunch period, hurrying away and hiding in the comfortable clearing. Breathing in much-needed fresh air, which helped to refresh their tortured teenage souls. After Kenshin had left for college, Kaoru had continued to come here…not as often, but often enough. At times when his absence had been particularly cutting, she had found some solace in this place.

It was a peaceful haven, and being able to return to this familiar setting after the obstacles the both of them had been through these past years was reassuring in many ways. Kaoru turned and inclined her head to the side, motioning toward the ground beside her. Kenshin nodded and stepped over to her. They both sat down in the grass, and she watched as he placed the paper bag in front of them.

The food inside the bag was warm and yummy, and as they ate silently in the grass, Kaoru felt a slow, pleased smile curl her lips as she let her gaze wander to the sky. The cloud cover was slightly thick, and she found herself absently wondering if rain was imminent. Kenshin tilted his head up and followed the direction of her gaze. The majority of the time that they ate, they spent cloud-gazing, watching as the hazy forms shifted slightly with the wind, the thick puffiness reacting gradually to the sky's gentle caress. Kaoru was pleasantly hypnotized by the lackadaisical crawl of the white masses across the cerulean blue, and as her eyes trailed their progress, he cleaned up their small mess, collecting the accumulating trash in the paper sack, letting her enjoy the movement she found so fascinating. The rustling of the bag seemed to draw Kaoru from her self-induced rapture of the sky, and she turned her attention to the silent Kenshin.

With a sudden smile teeming with a mischievous curiosity Kenshin had seen so many times before, Kaoru stood up slowly. She lifted one of her eyebrows as a spark of impudence flashed in her sapphire gaze. Raising a hand, she motioned to the dilapidated tree house.

"Beat you to the top," she said with a wide grin, her expression thick with deviousness.

Kenshin opened his mouth to reply, but instead found himself jolting after her as she whipped around quickly before waiting for his expected answer. She was closer, so when he reached the large base of the tree, she was already two-thirds of the way up the flimsy rungs. He wasn't paying much attention as he clamored up, his hands deftly moving over the worn wood and pulling him higher toward the platform Kaoru now sat on, a wave of laughter shaking her form.

Kenshin looked up as Kaoru peered over the edge, her eyes alight with unrestrained merriment. The climb up suddenly seemed longer as he stared at her, and his fingers became uncharacteristically clumsy on the jagged wood. It wasn't until gravity had started to pull him down that he realized he had somehow slipped.

His sudden descent toward the ground seemed to blur his mind for a moment as everything halted into a limbo of slow-motion. Kaoru's face above him became marred with an annoying fogginess, and it wasn't until he felt a steely grip wrap around his wrist that he sensed air rushing into his lungs again. Another hand reached down to join the other and with an exhalation of relieved air, Kenshin felt himself being pulled up slowly with as much assistance on his part he could muster. With a grunt, he climbed to the edge of the wooden platform, helped to raise himself up and onto the slightly shaky ground, and with a calm sigh, he absently collapsed on top of his rescuer.

He felt more than heard Kaoru's slight intake of breath and the acceleration of her heartbeat. She lay back against the old floorboards, her arms against her sides as all movement was frozen. He could imagine the befuddled expression on her face, the slight twisting of her lips as she sent him a narrow glare. He was somewhat surprised she hadn't shoved him off of her yet, the irritation he so expected to be raging through her reaching a breaking point by this time. But, when Kaoru hadn't so much as moved a muscle, Kenshin lifted his head a little to look down at her, and was quite surprised to see that she wasn't irritated…or angry. Not in the least.

There was something in her expressive eyes as she stared up at him that made Kenshin pause in his thoughts, and reevaluate the situation. He studied her face, noting the messy sprawl of her hair against the wooden boards, the softening of her gaze, and the rosy color of her cheeks, which had nothing to do with aggravation.

And suddenly, all playfulness fled from his system, and his mind became completely devoid of any thought. Kenshin reached up a hand and brushed Kaoru's bangs from her eyes, his amethyst gaze locking with hers, and deftly reading the air of enticement she managed to wordlessly articulate. Without a second thought, Kenshin leaned his head down and lowered his lips to hers, his hands coming up to frame her face as she wrapped her arms around his back. Kaoru was soft and welcoming, her lips parting invitingly underneath his as she openly responded to the foray of his mouth. It was a tangle of yearning wills as they became lost in each other's scent, taste…arms pulling bodies closer and hands trailing slowly over the confining cover of clothing.

It was the easiest thing in the world to become utterly, completely and totally lost against the body of someone who meant everything, who represented an entire life lived…someone that embodied one's own completion. And as Kenshin pulled away from his best friend minutes later, his hand threaded through the thick tresses of her dark hair, he sucked in a deep, cleansing breath.

It was a playful grin that spread over Kaoru's full lips in response to his dazed look. It was almost with befuddlement that he stared at the small elastic band she waved in front of his face, lost as to why Kaoru was biting her lower lip to keep from laughing.

"What?" he asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

A piercing alarm sounded, causing both Kenshin and Kaoru to look immediately at the culprit…his watch.

"Lunch is over." Kaoru stated as she wiggled out from under him and reached over to switch off the alarm. She had already started to climb down the ladder when he realized exactly what she had been so amused about not thirty seconds ago.

He leaned over the edge and grasped for the rungs of the makeshift ladder as he watched Kaoru walk over to the paper sack containing their lunch trash.

"Give me back my hair band."

She started backing away from him slowly and cocked her head to the side. Holding out the blue band in between her thumb and forefinger, she smiled innocently. "You mean this hair band?"

He grunted in response as he navigated the rungs. "I'm coming for it."

She laughed so softly it was barely audible. "Good luck with that. But, I'm going back. Catch me if you can," she said with a small wave and hurried out of the clearing, confident laughter following her.

"Kaoru!" Kenshin yelled. "Kao - " he broke off as he hastily fell to the ground with a hard thump. Shaking his head slightly, he stood slowly and brushed the offending dirt and grass from his clothing. And with a set expression of determination, he set off after her, his long red hair loose down his back.


	16. Expect the Unexpected

**Author's Note**: Thanks for all the support from everyone who's interested in this story. I appreciate it a lot!

For those who don't know, I've started a collection of drabbles called 'Pieces of Sunset' that deals with Kenshin and Kaoru's past from this story, 'Tendrils of Sunset'. If you're interested, be sure to drop in and read!

A special thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter – **chakitattyla2h8**, **toxiclollipop**, **sapphireracoongal**, **Tree**, **ShadeSpirit**, **I Heart Edward Cullen**, **Kristy-chan**, **sulou**, **Shauntell**, **trunksgirl85**, **blooded wyngs**, **Royal blueKitsune**, **guardian forever**, **Jasmine blossom625, Mizz-Clumsy**, **ixchen**, **ChildlikeEmpress**, **skenshingumi**, **nightshade**, **inuwolf04**, **Ma-meido-chan**, **loviegurlie**, **unknown beedee**, **KawaiiInuyasha14841**, **Nanakiyoda**, **Animekitty07**, **Raven2120**, **Madosie**, **Anonymous** **but very interested** (thank you _very_ much), **Unforgivable Horror**, and **kingleby**.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

* * *

**Tendrils of Sunset**

Chapter 16

"_Expect the Unexpected"_

* * *

She was comfortable and warm despite the chill that the night wind carried over her exposed skin. The dock beneath her back was sturdy and familiar, and the sound of the water as it lapped against the aged wood was soothing. Eyes caught by the ethereal sheen of the stars, Kaoru sighed, and crossed her arms over her chest.

Head pillowed by Kenshin's stomach, Kaoru let a small smile curl her lips in response to the chuckle she felt rumble through his body. He must have found something Yahiko said amusing. Kenshin was lying vertically on the dock, she horizontal. His head was supported by his folded arms, hers by his body – it was a position they had often taken before, when they had been younger and full of laughter. The shaking of one's body as they were wracked with mirth had always been fun to experience this way.

Tonight…it was merely for comfort and closeness.

Above, the stars cradled within the night's grasp seemed as elusive as they had always been. The gentle sparkle they exuded was like a playful wink amidst the blackness. Kaoru scanned the small dots, her gaze narrow. Her search was in vain, though, as the sky remained unchanged.

"So exactly when is this supposed to happen?" she asked.

"Three a.m."

"It's 3:30 already. Did you get the time wrong?"

Kenshin sighed tolerantly. "No. Have a little patience."

Kaoru pursed her lips. "I've been patient for quite awhile now."

An annoyed voice piped up a few feet away from them, saying, "Kaoru, just shut up, will you? I was enjoying the silence. Your voice grates on the nerves, you know."

For the first time in quite awhile, Kaoru resisted the urge to get up and pummel her arrogant, young cousin. Though Yahiko had stepped out of line _again_ while addressing her, she was just too damn relaxed to move. Kaoru let out a small humph in response, and let her lips take on a belligerent slant.

Yahiko was about ten feet away from them, his arms stretched out on the wood as he laid back watching the stars. Beside him, Sanosuke reclined, his mouth wide open as he snored.

"Where did you find the information about this meteor shower?" Kaoru asked, returning to her interrogation of Kenshin as she fidgeting slightly with increasing impatience. She felt Kenshin reach down and slide his fingers through her bangs, letting the smooth strands tangle with his gently moving digits.

"The newspaper. The time they stated was just an estimation. Let's give it a few more minutes. I'm sure we'll see some soon."

"What if we don't?" she retorted, narrowing her gaze to stare at a moving dot. Nope, she sighed…only a passing airplane.

Kenshin was silent for a moment before saying, "Ice cream. On me. Tomorrow after school."

Yahiko snorted. "You better be glad that Sano's asleep. He'd make you broke with a promise like that."

"I didn't say unlimited," Kenshin replied, amused.

"That doesn't mean he wouldn't make it unlimited."

A sudden, mischievous grin crossed Kaoru's features and twisted her arm around to jab a finger into Kenshin's side. He let out a small grunt. "Get me ice cream either way."

Kenshin chuckled. "Why would I do that?"

"Just because."

"Because what? I need a valid reason."

"We haven't gone to get ice cream together in a long time."

He couldn't argue with that. It really _had _been a long time since they had journeyed to an ice cream parlor together and enjoyed the cold treat. Kenshin sighed, "I'll think about it."

Yahiko made an odd noise of protest. "If Kaoru's getting ice cream either way, so am I. Come up with another alternative now," Yahiko said.

"I said I'd think about it. I didn't agree to it."

"But, you will," Yahiko mused. "Don't deny it."

Kenshin felt Kaoru shaking against him. He lifted his head to look down at her and found her pressing her hands to her lips in a poor attempt to conceal her amusement.

"You two aren't getting anything."

Kaoru squawked in protest. "But, it was all him!"

"Doesn't matter."

This time, her comfortable position against Kenshin wasn't enough to stop her from bolting up and lurching menacingly at her cousin. She wasn't quick enough, though. Tight arms caught her from behind, one wrapping around her waist while the other restrained one of her outstretched arms. Yahiko chuckled at the odd picture Kaoru made before turning away nonchalantly and infuriating her even more.

Kenshin pulled her floundering form tightly against his, bringing her more fully against his chest. She slowly stilled, settling somewhat belligerently in his arms. She grabbed at his hands and shoved in a feeble attempt to escape. But it was half-hearted and after a few seconds, she sighed and pinched the skin of Kenshin's hand as a form of rebuttal.

Suddenly, Yahiko bolted upright, his eyes trained on the night sky above. "I saw one!" he exclaimed, causing Kaoru and Kenshin to look up simultaneously.

One was understatement. A silver streaking of hundreds of meteors streamed through the darkness, leaving glowing trails that lasted less than a second. It was a sea of illumination that fell between the unmoving stars and descended magically through the darkness. Kaoru's breath caught and she could do nothing but stare. Kenshin's arms tightened reflexively around her waist, and Kaoru leaned fully against him, letting her head fall back against his collarbone. He was warm and solid, a soothing reassurance in the cool, crisp air of the night.

She could feel the heat from his breath against her cheek as she watched the glorious display of the heavens. The hued light of the falling stars was reflected in the gentle ripples of the lake, shimmering with added silver splendor.

As she watched, she slipped her hand into Kenshin's and intertwined their fingers. "I wish I had the materials needed to photograph this properly," she murmured.

Kenshin lowered his head, brushing his cheek against hers. "Maybe another time?"

A slow smile spread over her lips. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

He looked back up, his eyes skimming over the lighted brilliance. "Good."

* * *

"I spoke to everyone earlier in the semester about the possibility of taking a field trip to my home, Green Goose Island, so everyone could take photos."

There were murmurs of agreement, and some of her students shifted anticipatorily in their seats.

"Unfortunately, we can't conduct the field trip during school hours for various reasons. I've arranged a situation like the one when we went to the carnival. I scheduled the visit for this Saturday. If you aren't able to go this weekend, I can schedule an additional one for later in the month. Personally, I think that the earlier you go, the better. The end of the semester is approaching faster than you might realize, and you'll need all the time you can get to develop everything that you need for your projects."

Kaoru looked at her students. "I have a handout for you to take home and show your parents. I'd like for everyone to inform me of what they plan to do tomorrow. If not tomorrow, as soon as possible. These trips are _not _required. If you don't wish to go, I will not force you. This experience is only something that will hopefully help you meet the requirements I've given you for your projects. And, of course, it's for you to have a fun time as well. Green Goose Island is known most for the wildlife, but there are wonderful landscapes and nature pieces that can be taken there as well."

A couple teenagers raised their hands and asked simple questions, which Kaoru answered quickly, because the class period was nearing its end. The bell rang, and the students got up accordingly, departing from the classroom as they spoke quietly with one another.

Kaoru reached down and gathered her materials from the desk, placing them in an organized fashion in her briefcase. She slid the strap over her shoulder, and left the room as the teacher who taught the next class in the same room entered. They nodded politely to each other while she walked through the doorway.

Kaoru walked briskly down the hallway, her heels clicking on the checkered linoleum floor. There was a thick flow of students hurrying to their next class. The sound of slamming lockers, conversation and laughter filled the hall. She turned a corner, and then came to halt in front of the doorway that she knew led to Kenshin's classroom.

There were still a few students milling about in the classroom from the previous period. One young girl was at Kenshin's desk, leaning over a piece of paper placed on the surface, the utmost concentration schooled on her features. Kenshin was going over something intently with her, so Kaoru moved to the back of the classroom, and set her briefcase down on a small table that was pushed up against the wall. Kenshin looked up briefly before going back to his student's question.

Kaoru pulled out some papers to work on, and spent the next ten minutes doing so while he was busy. It wasn't until she heard him say, "Give this note to your next teacher to explain your tardiness, Melissa," that she knew the small meeting was over.

The girl nodded, grabbed her backpack, and quickly left the room.

Kenshin walked over to her slowly, and quirked an eyebrow. "This is new. You hardly ever come to my room during this time."

Kaoru sighed and nodded. "I needed to talk to you about this weekend."

"What about it?" he asked, sitting down at a desk across from where she sat.

"I invited my students over to Green Goose Island so they could photograph it, and I need some other chaperones to help me with them. If the whole class attends, there's no way I can be attentive with everyone there. Are you free to help?"

Kenshin cocked his head to the side. "Of course." He frowned and leaned forward. "I don't have to help teach, though, right? You know I'm horrible with explaining photography."

She snorted. "Of course, you won't have to teach. I just need you to help keep track of them all."

"Do you have anyone else lined up?"

She smiled somewhat weakly. "Kamatari." Kenshin made a funny sound in the back of his throat. She rolled her eyes at him. "Kamatari's not that bad, Kenshin. I would have asked Sano, but I know he's working this weekend."

Kenshin sat still for moment, his lips drawn in a straight line making him appear as if he was deciding whether he wanted to tell her something he thought vital. He reached up a hand and rubbed his palm against his forehead while sighing. "You do know one of the reasons he's here is to get…romantically involved with you?"

"Uh…well, about that," she started, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "He, uh, has delusions of grandeur sometimes -"

"Seemed pretty serious about it to me."

"You shouldn't worry about him."

"You protecting him like this makes me more nervous, you know. He hasn't tried anything has he?" Kenshin's face was intent, his eyes probing. "He definitely strikes me as a sly person."

"You have no idea," she murmured softly to herself. If Kamatari really was after her, there were many ploys he would have already put into action. Ambushing her in the shower, sneaking up on her while she was sleeping, hiding in her darkroom – there were a lot of scenarios she could imagine him performing. She had watched him try to snare many, many men when traveling with him in Europe. Kamatari took romance seriously. Almost too seriously.

It surprised her that in the past few days, he hadn't bothered her. Even though he was just playacting to get Kenshin nervous, she hadn't expected him to be this…_quiet_. The past week that he had stayed in her house had definitely been milder than she had originally expected.

"What did you say?" Kenshin asked.

She looked up at him. "Oh, nothing. Just mumbling to myself."

"And you're not going to fill me in?"

"Nope," she said, smiling sweetly at him.

* * *

"Which flavor is your favorite?" Kaoru asked.

"I don't know. Give me time to choose," Yahiko muttered, eyeing the large containers of ice cream through the glass in front of him.

"I'll bet it's… Cotton Candy Madness."

Yahiko glared at her.

"Batman?"

He turned away from her.

"Oh, I know! It's Barbie Bubblegum."

He stalked away from her.

"You shouldn't tease him so much," Kenshin whispered into her ear.

"The boy has thick skin. If he can dish it out, he can take it."

Kenshin sighed.

"Do you know what you want, sir?"

Kenshin looked up to see a young teenage girl garbed in the aqua uniform of the ice cream parlor. He looked over at Kaoru and watched as she pointed to a label in front of them. He nodded. "I'd like two regular cones both with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream."

"Two scoops?"

"Yes."

Yahiko plodded over, a cone of chocolate ice cream in his hand. Once the girl had given both Kenshin and Kaoru their ice cream, Kenshin paid, and they moved to sit down at one of the vacant tables.

Kaoru took several generous bites of her ice cream, causing Yahiko to shudder.

"How can you bite it like that? Doesn't it hurt?"

She shrugged. "Tastes better this way."

"I don't see how."

Kenshin chuckled. "She's always eaten her ice cream that way. Does the same with popsicles and the like."

"Seriously, Kaoru…it hurts to watch."

"Then don't watch."

"It's kind of hard not to. We _are_ sitting at the same table."

She sighed in exasperation. "You are a royal pain in the butt, you know."

Yahiko merely grinned at her.

Even though she hated to do it, Kaoru compromised grudgingly, moving to lick her cool treat instead of biting hunks out if it.

The trio was silent for a few minutes before Yahiko said, "So what's this about a bunch of students coming over to the house this weekend?"

"Where did you hear about that?" she asked, her interest mildly piqued.

"You left your itinerary on the kitchen counter," he replied dryly.

"Ah," Kaoru mused with a weak smile. "They're just coming to take photos."

"Do you think I'd be able to spend the night at a friend's house? I don't feel like being there when a zoo people descend upon my home. It's kind of nightmarish, actually."

"Whatever you prefer. Just tell me when and where."

"Is she dragging you into this mess, Kenshin?" Yahiko asked, smirking slightly.

"Yes, she is."

"Have fun…"

* * *

About two thirds of the class had decided to come. Either to have their parents drop them off, carpool with friends, or drive themselves, they were all set to arrive around noon. Which was now.

Kaoru hurried down the long decline of steps leading to the lake with a pen in her mouth and her arms full of miscellaneous papers to hand out to her students.

Kenshin had arranged for everyone to meet initially at his house, so they could break into about four or five groups to be transported by boat to the island. For this special occasion, Kenshin was using the motorboat he most often ignored in favor of the old-fashioned row-boat.

Kaoru stood on the shore of the lake, watching as Kenshin handed out lifejackets. Even though the lake wasn't too deep, it was important to take precautions despite the very slim chances of having an accident.

Kamatari had opted to stay with Kaoru, and he now stood with her on the shore to greet the students as they stepped onto the island. There was a mellow light to his eyes, and he seemed more subdued than usual, which surprised her. If anything, she had expected him to be somewhat conniving, since he would only remain with her for a few more days. His odd behavior made her wary.

When all the students were finally scuttled across the expanse of water, Kaoru quickly separated them into three groups. Though the students that got Kenshin as their guide would not receive many photography pointers, he knew the island as well as she did, and he knew the places that Kaoru enjoyed to photograph the most, unlike Kamatari, which made the splitting of the students fairly well balanced.

As they separated and went their respective ways, Kenshin cast one last look at Kaoru before leading his group of students to the east side of the island. The teenagers spread out in a small radius as they walked through the greenery, stopping frequently to take photos of many things. Some stopped for details easily overlooked, while others decided that the more obvious particulars of their surroundings would make better photos.

There were some questions pertaining to photography that they opted to ask. Kenshin's limited knowledge made his answers incomplete, but he tried his best to lift any confusion. Being around Kaoru as much as he had had given him _some_ practical understanding of the subject.

When they finally reached the east side of the island, the shore was empty. Students spread out, searching for the perfect place to concentrate on. Kenshin kept a watchful eye on them.

But, soon, they were joined by Kaoru's group of students. He wasn't surprised. This was her favorite place in the island, after all.

Slipping his hands into his pockets, Kenshin turned his gaze to study her form, watching as she kneeled next to a student to help rearrange the boy's grip on his camera. Pointing to the goose that waddled in front of them, her lips moved as she explained some photographic method to him.

Kenshin could tell that she was having fun. Her lips curved into a proud smile as she watched her student. Hands on hips, she stood and glanced up, finally catching a glimpse of him. She lifted a hand and waved slightly, while tilting her head to the side to study him.

Another student came over to distract her, and she pulled her attention away.

Kenshin continued to watch as she assisted.

Sometimes it was hard to figure out what she was thinking. Other times, it was secondhand nature. There was connection between the two of them that held like unbreakable cement. Though the years they had spent apart wore on the invisible ties that connected them so seamlessly, they had still remained despite the obvious weakening. And, now, after their reunion, it was full, whole, and strong again.

But, their relationship had evolved into a different, more complex association, one that held much more meaning, now, compared to the one they had shared while growing up. Recently, the connection had twisted slightly, not strained, yet uncertain. There was a tentative atmosphere around them that had never been present before.

Drawn closer together, boundaries that had once defined their friendship were erased, and thoughts were formed that had once been foreign and improbable; now, those thoughts were as natural as breathing.

Kenshin closed his eyes as he thought of her - of how she had changed so much in his eyes.

The scent of her hair. The slight curling of her lips when amused. The curve of her neck. The gracefulness of her hands. The taste of her lips.

New and old had combined in a way that was unrecognizable, yet recognizable at the same time. He was finally viewing her through eyes unclouded by preconceptions, and was instead seeing her as a man – a lover - would.

Now that he had had a glimpse of a different kind of life with her, he knew there was no turning back. The both of them were forever changed because the past handful of days. The only way was forward.

And he intended to follow that onward path.

* * *

Kaoru could feel his eyes on her. Her cheeks flushed a slight pink. Thankfully it was chilly outside, so she was able to pass off the simple display of emotion on the weather.

He stood against the shore of the water, half his attention on the students shuffling around near him, while the other half was attached on her. There was seriousness to his stance that she could ascertain even from this distance. Hands contained by his pockets, Kenshin stared at her with a contemplative slant to his shoulders.

Turning her gaze away to answer a student's question, Kaoru sighed, and attempted to keep her attention focused. Unfortunately, she couldn't help the wandering of her mind.

It almost felt as if she was walking around in someone's shoes - living a life she had only dreamed of when she had been young and full of mindless fantasies. Kenshin had always been so close to her, but never close enough. Now that she had felt what it was like to be near him, to feel his lips on hers, to have him wrap her in his arms, she felt as if her life had come to a point of culmination. She had set herself up for a mighty fall or for a great completion. It was getting harder and harder to tell which.

Kenshin had always been present, but unobtainable to her in the way she had always yearned for. To feel his eyes staring at her, containing a fire that was anything but _friendly_, was humbling and beautiful and heart stopping.

Kaoru trembled. She hoped she had what it took to preserve this new aspect of their relationship. She hoped that Kenshin was willing to go to the great lengths that she was.

Glancing across the way, her eyes softened at the smile he offered, the simple gesture of greeting that he gave.

And with that simple motion, Kaoru felt remarkably reassured.

* * *

Kenshin found Kaoru a few hours later, standing in her darkroom. The students had left a while ago, and Kamatari had supposedly gone into town for some reason or the other, leaving the house empty save for himself and Kaoru. Leaning against the doorjamb, he crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her pour chemicals into the designated trays. Her hair was pulled away from her face in her customary ponytail, and she wore a black apron over her clothes.

Kaoru didn't seem to have noticed him, her attention solely fixed on readying the room for developing her photos. She nibbled her bottom lip as she screwed the top on the jug of chemicals and set it down in one of the cabinets under the counter. Wiping her hands on the front of her apron, she turned toward the doorway and finally caught sight of him.

Her smile was wry, and she raised an eyebrow quizzically. "I figured you'd already be home," she mused, turning to arrange some of her equipment.

"No. Nothing to do over there."

"And what do you plan to do here?" she asked, sending him an amused look. "Develop photos with me?"

"Sure."

Now that surprised her. Dropping her hands to her sides, Kaoru bit the inside her cheek as she studied him with narrowed eyes. "Seriously?"

"I've gotten rusty. Care to show me again?"

"Is this genuine interest, or are you just trying to find an excuse to stay?"

Kenshin pushed off from the doorjamb and slowly walked over to her. Reaching out, he brushed her bangs from her eyes and cocked his head to the side. "A little of both," he admitted.

Kaoru stood there a moment, eyeing him with a dubious expression on her face. Amused by her suspicion, Kenshin smiled and leaned forward to place a chaste, quick kiss on her lips. He felt the surprised jolt that slid down her frame.

She let out a shaky sigh when he lifted his eyes to peer at her suddenly cloudy gaze. Murmuring something under her breath, she quickly turned away from him and set to piddling with some of the things she had laid out on the counter.

She cleared her throat, and said, "You can go ahead and close the door and turn off the lights. I have everything set up."

He hummed softly in accord and did as she said. Once darkness bathed the room, Kaoru reached over the counter and flipped on the safe-lights. Kenshin came back to stand directly behind her. It was a position that they had taken numerous times in the past when she had coerced him into helping her develop pictures while in high school. Except now, she was even more aware of the breath that tickled the nape of neck, the warmth of his body directly behind hers, and the familiar scent of his aftershave.

She was beginning to realize that it was going to difficult to concentrate when so close to him.

After positioning her negatives in the enlarger, Kaoru set the time of exposure on her clock, and then brushed past Kenshin to collect a piece of pre-cut photo paper in the light-safe box she kept it in. He stepped back and watched as she efficiently centered the paper underneath the enlarger, and then flicked the machine on to expose the sensitive material. The light illuminated the room for half a minute before the enlarger shut off. Kaoru quickly lifted the paper, but Kenshin reached over and took it from her grasp, slipping it carefully into the first tray of liquid.

She handed him the tongs and leaned her hip against the counter, watching as he worked the liquid over the paper.

"Do you think you can do this without any help?" she asked, squinting at his face through the dim, red light.

"I guess we'll find out," he mused, giving her a half-smile. "I'll admit it's a tad foggy, but I believe I remember the general idea."

Kaoru remained silent during the rest of process, watching as he moved the photo from tray to tray using the correct tongs, and in the correct time intervals. He remembered more than she had expected. Once finished, he placed the photo into a plastic tub which sat in the sink and turned on the faucet to let running water course over the paper.

Glancing from her to his handwork, Kenshin asked, "How did I do?"

"We won't know until we turn on the lights."

"Shall I turn them on?"

Kaoru nodded slowly. "I'm curious to see if a thirty second exposure is what I needed," she replied, watching as Kenshin trudged over to the wall. The bright lights made her blink. Pulling the photo out from underneath the running water, she peered at it speculatively before chewing her bottom lip in thought and placing it back into the tub in the sink to be rinsed some more.

"Well?"

"I guess I could tweak it a second or two, but for now I want to keep going. I'm going to go ahead and reposition the negatives in the enlarger to develop a different photograph."

"Is the next piece going to be of me?" Kenshin asked, his eyebrows upraised in mock innocence.

Kaoru snorted and elbowed him in the stomach. "Don't be stupid. You aren't even on this set."

It was almost automatically that his hands caught her arm, and he pulled her gently against him. She was taken off guard by the suddenness of his movements at first, eyes widening and raising to meet his. Her searching gaze collided with eyes of deep amethyst that were laced with a muted amber; they held a blur of unreadable emotion.

Kaoru felt tension drain from her limbs, her lips parting as she watched him lower his head slowly. He stopped his decent mere centimeters from her lips, and slid fingers over her cheeks to then slip into the hair she had tied back. Closing his eyes, he touched his forehead to hers, letting out a deep sigh as he leaned against her.

Kaoru felt a patient smile curve her lips as she wrapped her arms around his waist, slipping her fingers around the waistband of his jeans.

He was hesitant for reasons she wasn't aware of, but it didn't matter. It was kind of endearing, actually. It made the moment all the more important.

"You're too slow," she murmured, before slanting her head and raising herself slightly up on tiptoe to press her lips against his. He was sluggish to react, almost lazy. Hands moving down from her hair to her neck, he traced a finger along her jaw. Swaying into him, Kaoru attempted to deepen the tentative kiss. Kenshin's response was a low groan as he accepted her questing lips wholeheartedly with his own, tongue tangling hotly with hers.  
The length of time that they spent locked against each other, mouths caressing, lips intertwining was lost to the both of them. The lack of air finally forced them to part, breathing heavily, cheeks flushed, and hands tight on each other. Kaoru sucked in a wobbly breath as she rocked unsteadily into his frame. Kenshin's gaze lighted above her shoulder at the clock on the wall. Letting out a heavy sigh, he leaned forward to touch his cheek to hers.

"It's getting late. I should go," he said softly, the husky tone of his voice doing odd things to her stomach.

She didn't trust herself to speak, and only nodded.

Sliding his fingers one last time through her hair, tucking a stray slip behind her ear, Kenshin moved past her to the door and turned the knob.

Or at least he tried.

It was locked.

"Um, Kaoru…is this supposed to be locked?"

Turning, her eyes narrowed, and she frowned. Coming to stand beside him, she tried to turn the knob and found that it was, indeed, locked. She stood there for moment, her mind lost in thought, and then finally, her face contorted into a disbelieving expression. Rattling the doorknob forcefully, Kaoru banged her fist against the wood as a growl curled up from her throat.

"Kaoru?"

She was muttering lowly under her breath as she fiddled with the unmoving doorknob, and all he could catch was 'gonna kill him,' and 'can't believe it'.

Staring down at her flushed features, Kenshin leaned a shoulder against the door and raised an eyebrow to catch her attention. Raising narrow eyes to his, Kaoru pursed her lips. She stood there for a moment, silent as she brooded.

Her words, when she spoke, were sharp and terse, and there was something about the way she said them that made him suspicious. "It's _broken_."

She sure wasn't acting as if it was broken.

"Broken, broken, broken," she muttered to herself crossly.

"Which means?"

"We're stuck in here for who knows how long."

"Do you have a cell phone?"

Kaoru sighed and shook her head. "It wouldn't do any good anyways. Yahiko's gone for the night, and Kamatari is _useless_." She frowned and flicked her gaze to his. "So, I'm sorry to say, you're going to be stuck with me in here for the night."

"Ah."

Brushing a hand thought her hair, she had the sudden urge to melt into a puddle of frustration on the floor. Kaoru looked away and glanced over her materials. Kenshin followed the line of her vision and stepped closer to her, slipping his hand around hers and giving it a slight squeeze. His warmth was reassuring.

"Well, we might as well do something useful, eh? Let's develop more of your photos."

Humming softly in agreement, Kaoru leaned against him for a slight second before stepping away toward the enlarger to position the negatives.

A few hours later, they sat on the floor, Kenshin leaning against the wall, Kaoru between his legs with her back to his chest. His head was turned to the side, his eyes closed as he breathed evenly with sleep. His arms cradled her form, holding her loosely to him. Kaoru shifted slightly so that she could lay her head against his collarbone, near his shoulder.

She could hear the soft thump of his heartbeat through the thin material of his shirt, and it was with tentative fingers that she fiddled with the material of his sleeve.

The door broken?

Ha…

More like locked from the outside.

And she knew exactly who had locked them in the darkroom. Kamatari might be secretive about his plans, but he wasn't very original, and he wasn't subtle. Her initial anger had been blinding, her thoughts centered on the fact that Kamatari would do something so stupid, so annoying. She had been dim-witted to let her guard down so easily.

But…to say that she didn't like sitting here with Kenshin all alone, illuminated by only the soft hue of the safe-lights, would be a lie. The limited light cast an aura of secretiveness about the two of them. A small smile touched her lips as she closed her eyes, letting go of all the other surroundings, concentrating only on Kenshin.

Only Kenshin.

Maybe this wasn't so bad after all…


	17. Culmination

**Author's Note**: I'm ridiculous, I know. It's taken way too long for me to finally write this. But, write it, I did.

This is the **final** chapter. I've always had the general idea of how I wanted to end this, but I think it's turned out a lot better than what I originally wanted it to be. You'll have to excuse any continuity errors since it's been such a long gap between the last few chapters and this one. I sincerely hope you guys like it. Thanks so much for all the support for this story over the years. It's the first one that I published on fanfic, and it holds a special place in my heart.

Any further content for this story will be posted in 'Pieces of Sunset', which is the drabble series connected to this story. I have some little snippets rattling around in my head that I want to post there eventually.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

* * *

**Tendrils of Sunset**

Chapter 17

"_Culmination"_

_

* * *

_

It was a wonderful way to wake up - his lips brushing over hers, his fingers whispering over her arms. Kaoru shivered and arched into the light caress, enjoying the slide of skin against skin. Her back was sore from sleeping on the hard floor of her darkroom, but that discomfort slowly receded into the back of mind as Kenshin's lips settled more heavily against hers.

Without thinking, she slipped her hands underneath the hem of his shirt and ran them up the contour of his back, loving the feel of his muscles as they tensed beneath her touch. Kenshin muttered something against her lips and broke the kiss, his breath uneven and short.

When Kaoru opened her eyes, she watched as he lowered his head to press his lips to the side of her neck and then bury his face in the curve of her shoulder.

Her hands slid down his back, coming to a stop at the top of jeans. She plucked at the fabric as she shifted slightly against him. "Good morning."

He smiled against her skin, and replied, "Morning."

"Do you know what time it is?"

He raised his head, still smiling. "No. But, I'm guessing morning. Early morning."

She meant to say more, but Kenshin apparently had other things on his mind as he swept her into another kiss, this one deeper, more intense. She gasped against his lips, and loved the heavy feel of his body on hers, and the way he cradled her face in-between his hands.

She couldn't string two thoughts together, much less recognize when the door to the darkroom opened and two people stood in the doorway.

"I think I'm going to vomit."

Kenshin broke away, his head turning to the pair staring at them. Kamatari leaned against the doorjamb, a smug smile on his lips, while Yahiko looked like he'd eaten a rotten egg.

He turned back to Kaoru and chuckled at the flush of embarrassment that stained her cheeks.

"Door's fixed, I guess," she murmured. She was tempted to just ignore them and annoy Yahiko by pulling Kenshin's head back down to hers, but Kenshin shifted to the side, untangling his legs from hers. Kaoru pushed herself up on her elbows and speared her cousin with glare.

"Show's over. Carry on."

Yahiko frowned at her and stalked off, while muttering, "Nightmare's more like it."

"And, you," Kaoru said, turning to Kamatari. "Go away before I lock you in a storage closet…full of rotten lettuce!"

Kamatari grinned at her and shuddered with mock indignation. "Oh, the horror."

She sank back onto the floor as he sauntered away, and flicked her gaze over to Kenshin, who was now sitting up and leaning against the wall next to her. He looked wonderfully rumpled, his hair mussed and falling out of his ponytail, and his eyes a deep, relaxed violet.

"We should develop photos together more often," he said.

Kaoru closed her eyes and laughed. "I don't think it's the photos you're interested in, but the activity after it that you has you so…interested."

He laughed and stood slowly, stretching his arms out with yawn. "Ugh, I haven't slept on the floor in a long time. I'm out of practice."

Kenshin reached out a hand and Kaoru slipped hers into it. He pulled her up too quickly and she wobbled on her feet with a groan.

"Man, my back is killing me. I think I'm going to stash an air mattress in here in case that door gets stuck again."

"Pretty sure it was locked, not stuck."

"Hmm, whatever," Kaoru replied with smile. She lifted her head and sniffed. "I smell food. Kamatari must be cooking."

She turned to head out the door, but Kenshin tightened his grip on her hand and held her back from walking any further. Turning around with a quizzical smile on her lips, she quirked a brow.

"What is it?"

He took a step closer to her, dropped her hand, and reached up to brush her hair back from her cheek.

"About Kamatari. I -"

"Stop, stop, stop," Kaoru interrupted. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes with a groan. "My past with Kamatari is…complicated. Yes, we dated. Yes, I found him with a man. But, no, we weren't engaged for real. It was only a ploy to get a guy to stop stalking him. And, no, he's not here to win me back. He saw us when he got here, and he knows how I've always felt about you, so he decided to play a little game and make you jealous."

Kenshin stared at her silently with a frown. "So you wanted him to make me jealous?"

"_I _wanted him to keep his mouth shut and just be the friend he came here to be, and not the meddling monster he became."

"I don't know whether to be flattered, relieved, or irritated," he muttered, more to himself than her.

"I'm really sorry."

"So he's not planning on running away from you?"

Kaoru laughed, and shook her head vehemently. "Absolutely no! Even if he wanted that, it wouldn't happen."

"That's good to know," he replied and crossed his arms over his chest. "There's something that I need, though."

With a frown, Kaoru retorted, "You need something?"

"Yes, to make up for the emotional upheaval."

Kaoru bit back a smile. "Oh, really?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, what is that you'd like?"

His smile was slow, and he drew out her suspense by stepping around her and moving to the door. "One of your cameras."

"A camera? Er, okay. I wasn't aware that you wanted to take photos."

"And you," he continued.

"Me?"

"Yep," he said and left the room.

Kaoru stood there for a few moments, a bit befuddled, before following suit and leaving the darkroom. He had already made it to the kitchen, and Yahiko was laughing at something he'd said when she arrived. It smelled heavenly, and she knew she had Kamatari to thank for the small breakfast buffet that had been set out on the counter.

As she kept a suspicious eye on Kenshin, Kaoru filled her plate and followed the rest of them out onto the deck. The weather was beautiful, and she couldn't help but notice the way the sunlight hit the water. She sat down next to Kenshin at the metal deck table and started to eat the delicious food.

Yahiko began blathering about some new movie that he'd recently seen, and Kamatari seemed to be listening with one ear as he scanned the internet on his phone. Kenshin leaned in and said softly, "You and your camera."

"I got that part," she replied, casting him surreptitious glance. "But, why?"

"Why not?"

"Okay, then. When?"

"To be determined. I think I'll save it for a rainy day."

Kaoru laughed and quirked a brow.

With a smile and shrug, he said, "It's always good to keep something up your sleeve."

She leaned to the side and bumped his shoulder with hers. "You are ridiculous."

From across the table, Yahiko snorted. "Oh, please. Keep it in the darkroom."

Slowly, Kaoru turned to her cousin and had the sudden urge to fling a spoonful of eggs at his face. Too bad she was so hungry. Instead of rising to the bait, she popped a full fork in her mouth and tried to ignore him.

Kamatari dropped his phone on the table with a long sigh and pushed his half-empty plate away from himself. "I'm going out on the water today. Care to join me, Kaoru?"

"Can't. Got too much stuff to do around the house. And…I'm planning on making a cake today. I found another of Grandma's old recipes that I want to try out."

Kenshin choked and gave her an incredulous look. "I thought we talked about your Grandmother's recipes! Not only are they not complete, but she had _really_ weird taste. Last time I tried to make something of hers it came out disgusting, and I'm a fairly good cook."

Kamatari leaned back in his chair and waved his hand at Kenshin in a dismissive manner. "I went over it and made some corrections. As long as she follows the directions, it should turn out okay."

"Famous last words," Yahiko muttered. "I guarantee that I will not be eating her little masterpiece."

"Aww, I'm astonished by your generosity and understanding," Kaoru retorted with a smile and swift kick under the table at his shin. A buoyant grin swept over her face as he cursed and raised his leg to rub a hand over the sore skin.

"You did a wonderful job with breakfast this morning, Kamatari," Kaoru told him as she ignored her cousin.

He smiled smugly at her. "I know."

"Your humility is amazing," Kenshin remarked before taking a bite of a biscuit.

"I don't need humility when I'm talented at everything."

"Even cheating on your girlfriend," Kenshin asked with a quirked brow.

Kamatari shrugged and with a grin said, "Well, if you're going to do something bold, might as well go all out."

Kaoru stifled a laugh. "That guy was pretty hot."

Kenshin scowled at both of them. "But, that's not the point."

She jabbed him with her elbow and shook her head. "Water under the bridge, Kenshin."

"Hmph."

Kaoru took a last gulp of her orange juice and stood up from the table. As she grabbed her plate, she said, "Speaking of my cake, I think I'll start cleaning now so I plenty of time to cook my masterpiece."

Yahiko leaned forward and speared Kenshin with a slightly desperate look. "Do you think you can help me with repairs on the west dock? Kaoru has me signed up for painting and some other crap that's going to take forever if I'm by myself."

With a chuckle, Kenshin replied, "Sure, I can spare some time to help you out. Let's go on over there and get started."

It wasn't until three hours later that Kenshin and Yahiko finished their repairs and painting, and finally returned to the house. By that time, Kaoru had puttered around the house and cleaned what she had wanted, and was already in the kitchen with various ingredients littering the counter.

As Yahiko passed through to go take a shower, he remarked, "Thanks goodness Kamatari can't see the kitchen now. He'd have a heart attack."

"It's my kitchen! Who cares?" Kaoru yelled after him, her hands on her hips as she stared after his retreating form. "The nerve of that kid," she muttered to herself as she turned back to her mixing bowl.

Kenshin sat down at the kitchen table and leaned back in the wooden chair. He closed his eyes for moment and just relaxed in the quiet room.

"Hard labor?"

He popped open one eye and shrugged. "Not too bad. Despite all his complaints, Yahiko's a good worker."

Kaoru smiled to herself. "I know."

"I'm definitely tired, though. Getting little sleep last night because of that door fiasco and then working a lot during the day has killed my reserves. All I want right now is a hot shower, a clean pair of clothes, and a nice pillow."

Kaoru glanced over at him with a grin and took in his sweaty appearance. He did look pretty tired, and his clothes were a bit of a mess, especially since he had spent some quality time with a bucket of paint.

"You have paint in your hair."

"Fantastic! What color?"

"White."

"Well, let's hope it's just paint and not premature aging," he joked.

She laughed, dug her spatula in the bowl and started to stir the mix of ingredients together. They were both silent for a while as Kenshin rested at the kitchen table, and she tried to make her cake. She moved around the kitchen with ease and lost herself in the routine activity of mixing.

"I'm…meeting Tomoe tonight."

Kaoru slowly stopped stirring the batter and lifted her gaze. "Returning the cat?"

He had gotten up from the table and was now standing near her, an uncertain expression in his face. Kenshin leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "That and I need to talk to her. About things."

He looked so serious, his expression a little grim. She could tell this wouldn't be a discussion on whether to put their cat on a low-fat diet or how the weather was acting funny recently. She's be lying if she said he wasn't making her a little nervous.

"O-okay. Do you know when you'll be back?"

"She was originally going to come back here to get Oscar, but I'm just going to take him to her. It's a long drive so I'll be back tomorrow."

Kaoru turned back to the batter and resumed stirring with renewed vigor. "Drive carefully."

She could feel him at her back as he came to stand behind her. He brushed the ponytail away from the back of her neck and over her shoulder. Slipping an arm around her waist, he leaned forward and pressed his forehead between her shoulder blades.

"I'll be back. I promise."

She couldn't help the smile that spread over lips, and she replied, "I know."

"I need to go over to my house and take a shower. If I don't leave within the hour, I'll be driving into the night, and I'm not looking forward to doing that."

Slowly, he slid his hands down her arms and wrapped his fingers around her wrists. Kaoru dropped the spatula and let him turn her around so she faced him. He reached up and wiped the spot of flour from her cheek before leaning forward and kissing her. It was soft and slow and light, and when he pulled back, she knew she had a really stupid smile on her face.

He returned her smile and squeezed her hand before saying, "See you later."

"Hmm," she murmured, and watched as he stepped away from her and left the kitchen.

* * *

It had been a quiet day at school and at the house. Her students were still buzzing with excitement over the photos they had taken on the island over the weekend, and she had allotted several class periods for them to develop, organize and present a layout of the photos that were their personal favorites. For anyone who needed the extra time to develop their photos, she planned to have the school darkroom open for 2 hours after school for the next couple days. Today, however, she wanted to be home when Kenshin got back from his errand for Tomoe.

It did worry her that Kenshin had taken a day off work to drop Oscar off with Tomoe. Other teachers had remarked on his absence, saying that the only few times that he hadn't been able to make it to school had been when he had had the rare personal emergency, and when he'd been severely ill with the flu. There was nothing that she could do about his visit, but she couldn't help the small nagging feeling at the back of her mind that had randomly poked her throughout the day.

With a sigh, she reached into the refrigerator and pulled out the cake she'd finished baking the night before. It was a little lopsided and smaller than she had meant for it to be, but for the first time in her life, she had made something that hadn't tasted like burnt dirt with sprinkles on top. All she needed to do was to add the frosting and she'd be finished. A slow smile spread over her lips as she imagined the look on Yahiko's face when he realized she'd made something that's actually edible.

She pulled out the chocolate frosting from the pantry and rummaged through the cooking utensil drawer to find a plastic spatula to spread the icing on her cake. After flipping on the stereo to give her some background noise, she got to work. The task took about thirty minutes, and when she was done she felt like patting herself on the back and doing a little jig around the kitchen. With a happy smile, she stood there and stared at her masterpiece for a moment before whipping off her apron, snagging the afghan off the small loveseat in the den and heading outside onto the deck.

There was a slight chill in the air and she wrapped the blanket around her before settling onto the porch swing and staring out at the lake. She checked the time on her watch, knowing Kenshin would be back anytime now and loving the tingle of anticipation she felt.

* * *

Kenshin wanted more. He wanted everything.

He had meant to have a long talk with Tomoe, but when the time had come and he'd passed the fat cat over to his ex-wife, he'd realized he didn't need to ask her anything or try to reason out what had failed about their relationship. Looking her, it had become clear that while he had loved her, it had been with a young, undecided heart.

Kaoru…she took up so much more of him. He could feel her settling in his soul, filling him completely. There had always been apart of him that had been drawn to her, but he'd ignored it, buried it, and turned away from anything that might have suggested to him that Kaoru could be something more than his friend. What a colossal mistake.

There was a connection between the two of them that transcended anything he had ever experienced. He knew her like the back of his hand, and he loved everything about her - from the tips of her toes to her mass of beautiful black hair. She had opened his eyes to a possible future he had never let himself envision, and it was brilliant and fulfilling and so much more than he'd ever thought possible.

He watched her as she sat on the porch swing, her legs curled up and her gaze captured by the tendrils of sunset as they curled and blended on the horizon. The wind tousled her loose hair and she pulled the afghan blanket tighter around her shoulders.

She was everything that he wanted in his future. He wouldn't settle for anything less. He had wanted to move slow, settle into their new relationship slowly and let all that was novel about his feelings diffuse into him. However, this was Kaoru. He didn't need time to recognize that she was the one. He only wished that he'd opened his eyes sooner and recognized what had always been right in front of him. He couldn't imagine what might have happened if she'd found someone, and his stomach clenched painfully at the thought.

Kaoru was his.

She would always be his.

Kenshin shoved his hands into his pockets and walked down the gravel path towards the deck. She heard him coming and turned her gaze to him, watching as he made his way to her. There was indecision in her eyes, and he knew that he was the cause for it. That would change, though. In a few minutes, she would know exactly where they stood in their relationship.

She smiled despite the doubt she obviously felt, and it was a smile that came from deep within, reserved only for him - it softened her features and exuded a deep warmth.

He walked up the steps, slowly making his way over to her and sitting down next to her on the porch swing. It swayed after he sat down, rocking back and forth, and causing her hair to blow in her eyes a little.

"Hey."

Her lips quirked the smallest amount. "Hey, yourself. Busy day?"

"You could say that. I hate being cooped up in the car for hours on end."

"How was your visit with Tomoe?"

Kenshin gave a one shoulder shrug. "Nothing out of the ordinary. I passed Oscar to her, said hello to her and her new boyfriend, and then took my leave."

Her brow furrowed. "I thought you wanted to talk with her or something? How'd that go?"

Kenshin was silent for a moment before answering, "When I got there, I realized there was no reason to talk to her, other than the regular pleasantries."

Kaoru looked even more confused now and frowned at him. "Why is that?"

He studied her for a moment before intertwining the fingers of her left hand with his and saying, "Because I realized how much I love you."

Her eyes widened the smallest amount and she plucked at the fringe of the afghan nervously.

"Sure, you've always been incredibly special to me, but when I saw Tomoe today, I realized that nothing I said or she said would have any effect on me. You were there before her, and you'll be there long after her. You made a mark on my soul when you were six years old and we met for the first time in the Butterfly House. That mark has only grown and deepened over the years. Even when I was married, I wasn't ever able to give my whole self to Tomoe, because a part of me always held back. Even when I didn't consciously know that you were not just my best friend, but everything to me, I kept myself apart, never fully giving in to any relationship."

Kenshin stopped for a second, breaking eye contact and sliding a hand through his hair nervously. Kaoru could feel her heart pounding heavily in her chest as she waited for him to continue.

"I know this is fast, but I want you to know that I'm never leaving your side. Where you go, I'll follow, even if you want to take photos and live in Egypt for seven years. I don't want you to think I'm pressuring you or throwing a proposal at you so soon - I'm not. I just want you to know how committed I am to making this work."

The was a beat of silence before Kaoru said softly, "Kenshin?"

"Yeah?" he asked, turning back to her, his eyes catching hers.

She leaned forward, slipped her arms around his neck and sinking into his embrace. Her lips caught his and she kissed him with a fierceness that took him by surprise. She scooted closer to him on the porch swing without breaking contact and deepened the kiss, her lips slanting over his, tongue tasting his lips and mouth. They sat there for what felt like forever, lost in each other, their lips brushing and caressing.

When Kaoru finally pulled away, her breath unsteady and lips beautifully swollen, she whispered with a brilliant smile, "I love you, too."

Kenshin chuckled, his fingers sliding through her unkempt hair. "Thank goodness."

"I think I've waited forever for you to say something like this to me."

"I sincerely apologize for taking so long," he replied.

"Hmm. The wait was worth it," Kaoru said, her eyes twinkling. She stared at him for moment before sitting upright suddenly with a gasp.

"My cake! I completely forgot. I can't wait for you to try it!"

"So you finished it?" he responded with a laugh.

She jabbed him in the side with a frown. "I don't like that surprise I detect in your voice. Yes, I finished it, and it's glorious. Better than any cake you've ever baked, that's for sure!"

"Laying down the gauntlet, aren't you?"

"Definitely."

He grinned at her. "Is that why you taste like chocolate icing?"

She hopped up from the swing suddenly, and pulled him along with her as she made her way across the deck. "So, you caught me. I couldn't help myself as I was icing it. It just smelled so darn good."

"Well, lead on," he laughed and followed her into the house.

* * *

_**1 year later**_

_**

* * *

**_

"You really took a long time to finally ask for this," Kaoru said as she threw herself onto the bed with a tired sigh.

"I told you I wanted to save it for something special," he replied as he sat down in a chair across the room, his attention focused on the digital camera in his hands. "While I'm glad you finally broke down and bought your first digital camera, it'd be nice if you could come over here and help me figure out how to actually turn it on."

She twisted to her side and propped her head up on her hand as she watched him fiddle with her new camera. "Just flip the ON switch, turn the dial on top to the P setting, and take the lens cap off the lens."

His brow furrowed as he picked at the top of the camera.

"No, no," she said with a laugh as he just started to press random buttons. "Kenshin stop!"

"I'll find the right one eventually."

Kaoru smiled to herself as she scooted off the bed, careful not to step on the hem of her long dress, and walked over to him. After snagging the camera from his hands, she settled down on his lap and leaned against his chest.

"See here," she said, pointing at the ON switch. "Just flick it, and viola! You have power." She turned the dial to P and removed the lens cap for him and then handed the camera back to him.

"Amazing," he said as he put the camera strap around his neck. "Now stand up! You're part of the deal, too." He pushed her gently off his lap and watched as she stepped away from him with a mildly amused look on her face.

He raised the camera and followed her movements with it, capturing her as she slipped off her high heels, walked over to the window and pushed the curtain aside to stare outside, and then finally moved back to side of the bed.

"How's it going?" she asked, a brow quirked.

"Only a few have actually been in focus, but like you're always telling me - you have to take a lot of photos to hit on something really special."

"Very true," she replied with a smile.

He stood up and walked over to her, the camera dangling against his chest.

"Aren't you worried about wrinkling your dress? You've been paranoid for days about getting it dirty or messed up," he said as he sat down beside her on the bed.

Kaoru leaned back on the mattress and stared up at the ceiling of the room. Kenshin followed suit, lying back next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Kaoru scooted closer, slipping an arm over his chest and snuggling her face into the warmth of his neck.

"Big day's almost over. We're finally married, and I don't have to worry about my dress, or the food, or the guests, or anything right now. I've got you in the honeymoon bed." She grinned at him. "What else could I ask for?"

"Good question," he replied, pulling her down to him and welcoming her slow, heated kiss. He raised the camera up with his left hand, fumbled for the button for a second and then snapped the photo.

It turned out to be the best one he took on their honeymoon.


End file.
